Brewers owner Mark Attanasio admitted he was as stunned as anyone by Craig Counsell joining the Cubs but said he did not feel “betrayed” by the longtime manager’s departure from Milwaukee.
The Cubs shocked the baseball world Monday by firing manager David Ross and replacing him with Counsell, who was synonymous with the Brewers after spending the past 17 years with the organization as a player, executive and manager.
Attanasio told reporters that when Counsell informed him of his decision, his response was: “Are you messing with me?”
“We’re all here today because we lost Craig,” Attanasio said. “But I’ve reflected on this — Craig has lost us, and he’s lost our community also.”
Counsell, who led the budget-conscious Brewers to five playoff appearances and three NL Central titles over the past six years, became one of the biggest managerial free agents in recent years when his contract expired at the end of this season.
Although he was expected to either remain with the Brewers or be hired by the New York Mets, Counsell ultimately ended up with the Cubs, agreeing to what sources told ESPN is a five-year deal worth a record-setting $40 million.
“It kind of came out of nowhere,” Brewers ace Corbin Burnes told MLB.com. “I think my reaction is the same as everyone in the organization and the fan base: We’re just shocked initially.”
“I’m still processing it, too,” Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff added. “I was not expecting the Cubs. … But then when you dig down a little bit deeper, you kind of get it.”
Attanasio was asked whether he viewed Counsell’s move to the rival Cubs as a betrayal.
“Definitely not betrayed,” he said. “I’m so high on what we have that I can’t imagine somebody wanting to be somewhere else. … Our goal for our family is for me and my sons to be the stewards for the community for a long time, and then hopefully past 2050, someone else will have the same emotion for the team, the community that’s very special.
“From the first day I got here, there’s no place in the country like Milwaukee.”
Attanasio said the Brewers previously had offered Counsell a contract that “would have made him the highest-paid manager in baseball, both per season and the total package.”
“I felt very good about that, and he made a decision to go another direction,” said Attanasio, who declined to answer whether the Brewers were given the opportunity to match the Cubs’ offer.
Counsell grew up as a Brewers fan in the Milwaukee suburb of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin. His father, John Counsell, is the Brewers’ former director of community affairs.
The former Brewers infielder took over as Milwaukee’s manager during the 2015 season after the firing of Ron Roenicke and went 707-625 in eight-plus seasons, giving him the franchise record for wins and games managed.
But Counsell started indicating as early as September that he was open to a change, according to Attanasio, who said he wanted to give Counsell the chance to test the open market.
“He had given a lot of years to the organization, and he asked for the opportunity to do this,” Attanasio said. “I want to support our people.”
Attanasio announced that Counsell’s coaching staff will be back with the team next season and said the Brewers would be “committed to finding a manager who can be as successful as Craig.”
“We have a really good thing,” Attanasio said. “I give Craig credit for helping to build that, and for adding all these coaches — all of whom have stayed.
“So we’re going to look for a manager who can continue having a terrific clubhouse culture and that can help us keep winning and hopefully get over the hump in the playoffs.”
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
TORONTO — A three-goal second period broke open a tight game, quieted a raucous crowd at Scotiabank Arena, and powered the Florida Panthers past the Toronto Maple Leafs6-1 in Game 7 of this Eastern Conference semifinal series on Sunday night.
Though it wasn’t the typical marquee names you see on the Florida scoresheet, Seth Jones, Anton Lundell and Jonah Gadjovich combined for those tallies, giving the Stanley Cup-champion Panthers a 3-0 lead headed into the third period. It was plenty of room for Florida to shut the door in the third period and seal a berth in the Eastern Conference finals for the third consecutive season. Florida will take on the Carolina Hurricanes in Round 3 beginning Tuesday.
The Maple Leafs, 2-0 winners in Game 6 Friday night in Sunrise, Florida, could not find enough time and space to operate in the Panthers’ zone. With 10 minutes left in regulation, Toronto had just 14 shots on net, with its season on the line, as boos rained down from the capacity crowd.
Eetu Luostarinen and Sam Reinhart chipped in with third-period goals for Florida, giving the champions a 5-1 lead after Toronto’s Max Domi scored at 2:07 of the final frame to briefly give the home team hope. Florida’s Brad Marchand added an empty-net goal to conclude the scoring.
“We’re excited about the opportunity,” Marchand said during the game broadcast on SportsNet. “We’re having fun, enjoying the moment, that’s all you can do. You don’t get a second chance at these opportunities. You just have to embrace and enjoy it.”
Goaltender Joseph Woll, who authored the shutout in Sunrise on Friday, struggled at home, looking out of position on several Florida goals. Anthony Stolarz, Toronto’s regular starter who had been sidelined since Game 1 with an undisclosed injury, was active and on the bench as Toronto’s backup for Game 7, but he was not called upon.
Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky was much sharper on the other end of the ice, allowing only Domi’s goal off a wrist shot on a clean entry into the zone. Bobrovsky, who has started every postseason game for the Panthers this season, was playing in his first Game 7 since he led the Panthers to the Stanley Cup last June with a victory over the Edmonton Oilers in the series’ last game.
Jones, in his first season with Florida and seeking his first shot at the Stanley Cup, opened the scoring with his third goal of the postseason.
“I’m just happy with the situation I’m in,” Jones said on TNT’s postgame show. “Hopefully, my game can grow, and I’m just trying to bring what I can to the table with this team. I’m playing with a lot of great players, and these guys know what it takes to win.”
The game was delayed in the second period, just before Florida’s goal-scoring spree, after referee Chris Rooney, widely considered to be one of the top officials in the NHL, was bloodied and had to leave. The longtime referee was hit by an inadvertent stick to the face.
The play happened 13 seconds into the second period, when Florida’s Niko Mikkola was jousting for the puck and his stick went into Rooney’s face. Rooney skated off with some assistance and with a towel covering much of his face as he was brought to the locker room area for further evaluation and treatment.
The NHL has stand-by officials at playoff games, and Garrett Rank took over as one of the two referees following Rooney’s injury, joining a crew that also included referee Jean Hebert and linespersons Devin Berg and Jonny Murray.
TORONTO — Referee Chris Rooney, widely considered to be one of the top officials in the NHL, was bloodied and had to leave Game 7 of the Florida Panthers–Toronto Maple Leafs playoff matchup Sunday night after taking an inadvertent stick above one of his eyes.
The play happened 13 seconds into the second period of the Panthers’ 6-1 win when Florida’s Niko Mikkola was jousting for the puck and his stick hit Rooney’s face.
The game was stopped for several minutes and a stretcher was brought onto the ice, but Rooney skated off with some assistance and with a towel covering much of his face as he was brought to the locker room area for further evaluation and treatment.
Rooney got stitches and was ruled out for the remainder of the game.
The NHL has standby officials at playoff games, and Garrett Rank took over as one of the two referees following Rooney’s injury, joining a crew that also included referee Jean Hebert and linesmen Devin Berg and Jonny Murray.
