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Jan 17, 2012 - Boy, the news out of Milwaukee just keeps getting worse. First Prince Fielder somehow and unaccountably decided to emulate Scrooge McDuck and just go for the money. And now super-utilityman and premier pinch-hitter Craig Counsell is quitting the team, just when he's hitting his peak?
I jest, of course. But it does seem that Counsell is hanging up his spikes. Tom Haudricourt:
The Brewers haven't announced it yet but word has leaked out (CBS Sports first reported it) that Milwaukee native Craig Counsell has decided to retire and take a role in the club's front office.
The Brewers are expected to announce shortly exactly what role Counsell will have in the organization. His expected job will be special assistant to the general manager.
I don't think Craig Counsell will wind up in the Wing of Amazing, but he did put together sort of an amazing career, don't you think? Not many 11th-round draft picks reach the majors at all, let alone play in the majors until they're 41. Counsell played in 110 or more games in seven seasons ... all of them after his 30th birthday. As a rookie in 1997, he joined the Marlins in late July, took over at second base for the injured Luis Castillo, and stayed there all the way through Game 7 of the World Series ... in which he scored the World's Championship-winning run.*
* Counsell was also on base, but didn't score, when Luis Gonzalez beat Mariano Rivera in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series.
Of course, last season Counsell also suffered through one of the worst batting slumps in world history ... but of course all was forgiven when Counsell's Brewers finished in first place anyway.
He spent the last five seasons of his playing career with the Brewers, which was lovely since he was born, raised, and still lives in the village of Whitefish Bay, on the shore of Lake Michigan and just a hop, skip and a jump from Miller Park. And it's doubly fitting that he's moving into the front office.
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Comments
Don't forget
Craig was basically raised in the Brewers’ front office and clubhouse since his dad worked for the team.
by mpbMKE on Jan 17, 2012 12:39 PM EST reply actions
Wing of Amazing
Perhaps Counsell himself doesn’t make it, but I certainly hope there’s room there for his batting stance.
"There are only two things that are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." - Albert Einstein
by BeefMaster on Jan 17, 2012 12:50 PM EST reply actions
wing of surprising, maybe
Making it as an eleventh-round pick is nice but not too unprecedented — from earlier in that round Casey Blake also made it to the majors, is still active at age 37, and put up more (baseball reference) WAR than Counsell.
And his name is William Blake! That gets extra awesomeness points, even i I was going to toss in “Do you know my poetry?” instead of “For everything that lives is holy.”
Not actually affiliated with whygavs.
by WHYG Zane Smith on Jan 17, 2012 1:46 PM EST reply actions
In 15 years
He will there will be a young fan who is watching a game on TV, and the cameraman will put the camera on GM (or asst GM or some front office title) Craig Counsell. To that young fan, he looks about what Brian Cashman looks to a fan today. Then the color guy will mention Counsell’s playing career, and the young fan will choke with disbelief that this guy was a Major League ballplayer.
You’ve got to have some space in your heart for a guy like that.
by Stephen Suffron on Jan 17, 2012 5:21 PM EST reply actions
Somewhat amazing
I’m always amazed when a guy with so little power gets so many walks. For much of his career, Counsell had about as many walks as strikeouts.
I’m also amazed that so few teams valued him. Every year, several teams opted to start at least one MI/UT player who could not post a .340+ OB (and Counsell’s career OBP mark probably would have been higher than that with more playing time closer to his prime) while Counsell’s services did not cost an exorbitant amount of money.
by KC Viking on Jan 17, 2012 7:27 PM EST reply actions
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