Brewers fans are typically jolly but they made an exception for Craig Counsell.
Counsell, who managed Milwaukee for the last nine years before leaving for the NL Central rival Cubs this past offseason, was booed loudly in his return to American Family Field on Monday.
The ballpark has gotten referred to as Wrigley Field North in a recurring joke about how many Cubs fans drive up I-94 and take over the stadium as opposing fans, but there was nary a cheer to be heard as Counsell walked toward the Cubs dugout or as the Brewers played a tribute for their former manager on the video board.
Cameras for the Cubs’ Marquee network captured Counsell, who still kept his house in his native Whitefish Bay outside of Milwaukee, smiling at the reception.
It did not come as a major surprise to him.
“Cheer. Boo. Whatever, man. Just have a good time at the game,” Counsell before the game on Monday.
“That’s what fans get to do. Just have a good time. It’s Memorial Day. You don’t have to work today. Let’s all have a good time.”
The Brewers made the playoffs five times during Counsell’s managerial tenure, and won the NL Central four times.
The furthest the team went under Counsell was the 2018 NLCS, which they lost to the Dodgers in seven games.
Counsell also played for the Brewers from 2007-11.
Counsell signed a contract with the Cubs worth a reported record $40 million over five years.
“It was just the right fit for me,” Counsell said of the Cubs. “Everything that I … ended up looking for, it turned out to be the right fit in Chicago.”
Counsell was succeeded in Milwaukee by Pat Murphy, who was a bench coach under Counsell and actually coached him during his time at Notre Dame.
Coming into the game on Monday, the Brewers had a three-and-a-half game lead over the Cubs for first place in the NL Central.