The Chicago Cubs took the field for their first spring training game of 2024 on Friday and that also meant the debut of first-year manager Craig Counsell.
Although his team was playing the Chicago White Sox, Counsell took time out of his day to throw a little shade at the Milwaukee Brewers and their fans.
“Huge crowd on day one, so you know you’re in a different place,” Counsell said during the game broadcast. “No question about it.”
Counsell spent six seasons in Milwaukee as a player, being added to the Brewers Wall of Honor in 2014, before serving as their manager for an additional nine seasons. His contract expired last November, and instead of returning, he joined the Cubs on a five-year, $40 million deal less than a week later.
The contract made Counsell the highest-paid manager in MLB history, both in terms of annual average value and total value.
Despite his long history with the Brewers, Counsell recognizes the disdain Chicago fans have for Milwaukee fans and vice versa. There’s certainly no love lost between those two cities and the population therein, and his subtle comment will surely add fuel to the fire.
The Cubs and Brewers will meet for the first time this spring on Wednesday, Feb. 28. They’re also scheduled to meet in the regular season 13 times.
More must-reads: