MILWAUKEE — The much-anticipated National League Division Series battle between managers Craig Counsell and Pat Murphy has been one-sided so far.
Murphy has the decisive edge over his old friend and former boss after the Milwaukee Brewers’ 7-3 win over the Chicago Cubs on Monday at American Family Field, giving them a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series.
It was as painful a loss as the Cubs have had all season, and puts them on the brink of elimination heading into Game 3 at 4:08 p.m. on Wednesday at Wrigley Field. It ain’t over till it’s over, but the Cubs need a comeback for the ages to move on.
Can they pull it off?
“Absolutely,” center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong said. “I’d be a fool if I was here and didn’t think so. That’s why we’re here.”
The Brewers couldn’t have scripted it any better, trouncing their archrivals in the ballpark Cubs fans used to own, embarrassing the former manager who bounced for more money, and showing a national TV audience they’re the real deal.
“Now it’s showtime,” Brewers catcher William Contreras said, shortly after standing and watching his home run like he was waiting on the 3:10 to Yuma.
Whether it was Contreras pimping a home run, Jacob Misiorowski pumping 104 mph fastballs past Cubs hitters or Sal Frelick leaping against the right-field wall to rob Seiya Suzuki, everything went Milwaukee’s way, at least after Andrew Vaughn erased a three-run deficit with his three-run blast off Imanaga in the bottom of the first. Cubs hitters struck out 11 more times, giving them 58 in only five postseason games.
Counsell was treated like he stole the beer money of 40,000 Brewers fans. He’s been lustily booed before both games, and during trips to the mound, which were numerous on Monday as Shota Imanaga and Daniel Palencia gave up three-run home runs, wasting a three-run, first-inning shot by Suzuki that briefly provided hope to jittery Cubs fans.
“It’s none of my business, but I know this: They never boo a bum,” Murphy said. “You’re getting booed, you’re good at something. I hate it because I know how much he loves Milwaukee. I know how much he loves this city. He loves this state. There’s no one that’s more fond of the high school athletic performances than Craig … But fans will be fans. They’re fanatics, so they do what they do, and people pile on and that type of thing.”
Murphy predicted the fans would “come around someday,” but judging from the first two games, I’m not so sure. I ran into Brewers owner Mark Attanasio before Game 2 and asked why Brewers fans are still obsessed with Counsell.
“As I’ve said, he won more games than any other manager in our history, and that may last for a long time,” he said. “One of the things about sports is that things are a matter of record. Your guess would be as good as mine. I think the more you’re loved, the more your heart is broken.
“But I don’t know. I took one psychology class in college (at Brown), that’s all.”
I took one psychology class at Mizzou, and my theory is they resent the fact that Chicago is a world-class city with great architecture and restaurants, while Milwaukee is a place with a statue of The Fonz. It’s as simple as that.
Everyone has their heart broken at some point, but eventually you move on. Milwaukee refuses to move on from Counsell’s snub, even though Murphy has been a remarkably efficient replacement.
I asked Attantasio if he’s spoken to Counsell lately. He said they haven’t since Counsell’s departure, but not because of any animosity.
“What’s he been gone, two years?” he said. “I haven’t been to many games.”
Counsell was standing near the Cubs’ batting cage when we spoke, so I was going to suggest to Attanasio that he should go talk to him, hoping to get a Nobel Peace Prize out of the interview. But with the Cubs trailing in the series, it seemed inappropriate to play peacemaker.
Attanasio said he has no hard feelings about Counsell leaving. As they like to say in baseball, “it’s a business.”
So why can’t Brewers fans get over it? Players leave teams for more money all the time. Willy Adames left Milwaukee for the San Francisco Giants last year and got a standing ovation upon his return. Why should a manager be any different?
Attanasio declined to be a spokesman for Brewers fans.
“It’s really about the fans, not about the owner,” he said.
Brewers fans should be happy, I told him. They have a cool manager, a great team and full houses at their ballpark. Stop obsessing over the past and embrace the present.
“Things have gone well for both sides,” Attanasio said. “These are two of the winningest teams in the National League, and two of the six winningest teams in Major League Baseball. Pretty good. By the way, the Central Division has been disrespected in the National League. Look at the two of us.”
Was Attanasio worried that beating Counsell and the Cubs in the NLDS would be like winning a World Series for Milwaukee? Are they so fixated with beating the Cubs that they could suffer a letdown in the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers or Philadelphia Phillies?
“No,” he replied. “Our goal, like the Cubs’ goal I’m sure, is to get to the World Series, however we have to get there.”
The Brewers are obviously a lot closer to getting there than the Cubs, but Attanasio was not counting his fish before they were boiled.
“One game at a time,” he said.
So the series moves back to Chicago, and a chance for the Cubs to prove rumors of their demise are greatly exaggerated.
Maybe a group hug for Counsell is in order.
He looks like he could use some love.