Christian Yelich issues a harsh Craig Counsell truth ahead of NLDS matchup

At a press conference in Milwaukee, the topic of Counsell facing his former team during his first postseason run with the Cubs naturally came up. But Yelich was quick to steer the focus back to where he believes it belongs, on the players.

“The series is going to be decided by the players, not managers,” Yelich said.

He went on to say that baseball is different compared to other sports, adding: “It’s still baseball. Managers put players in positions they think they’re going to be successful, and that’s it. It’s different than other sports. It’s not like Couns has exotic blitz packages or a good play-action pass game.”

While managers often face heavy scrutiny for their postseason decisions, whether it’s a pitching change, a lineup tweak, or a pinch-hit call, it’s ultimately the players who determine the outcome on the field. As Yelich pointed out, managers can only put their guys in a position to succeed; it’s the execution that matters most.

In a high-stakes series like this one, the spotlight may fall on Counsell, but the results will be shaped by the players between the lines, and very minimally on the decisions made in the dugout.