Brewers’ fast start under Murphy has taken heat off Counsell
The Milwaukee Brewers will invade Wrigley Field this weekend, but the strongest NL Central storyline already has faded.
Manager Craig Counsell made the very unexpected jump from the Brewers to Cubs in November. Not only did he spend 15 years as a player or manager for the Brewers, Counsell also grew up in Milwaukee while his father worked in the Brewers’ front office.
The move was unpopular in Wisconsin when it happened, and Counsell shouldn't expect a warm reception when the Cubs visit American Family Field later this month.
But the Brewers' fast start under Pat Murphy has deflected attention from Counsell. There's plenty of chatter in Milwaukee now about how the change has been positive, and the Brewers responded well to Murphy's aggressive style and underdog attitude.
This was an interesting week for Milwaukee. Murphy was ejected twice and suspended for two games, while benches cleared Wednesday for the third time in a Brewers game this season.
Murphy was tossed when complaining about a ninth-inning call where the Brewers appeared to score the tying run on a wild pitch, but hitter Jake Bauers was called out for hitting the catcher on his backswing. Murphy was run again the next day for complaining about pitcher Freddy Peralta's ejection after a hit batter.
Due to the suspension, Murphy won't be around for Friday's game. It was an interesting scene, Murphy twice sitting at the podium with his three grandkids by his side, explaining the two ejections.
There's plenty of back story here. Murphy, 65, was Counsell's college coach at Notre Dame. After Counsell turned pro, Murphy went to Arizona State, where he stayed for 14 years, eventually resigning during an NCAA investigation.
At that point, Murphy was hired by the Jed Hoyer-run San Diego Padres. He coached some minor-league teams and served as the Padres interim manager for the second half of the 2015 season. That's when he joined the Brewers as bench coach, starting in Counsell's second season as manager.
Murphy probably would have followed Counsell to the North Side, but was chosen as Counsell's replacement instead. Both teams have performed well despite having a number of key players injured. Milwaukee holds first place with a 19-11 record, while the Cubs are 19-13.
The attitude among the Brewers is Counsell became a free agent and took an offer that made sense for him. Plenty of players have done the same.
“It’s just part of professional sports. It just happens,” Christian Yelich told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “It doesn’t change what you did at your previous place. It’s just a new chapter in your life. … We’re still going to be friends for a long time.”
Most observers thought if Counsell was going to leave Milwaukee, it would be to join the Mets. But that notion fizzled after an interview. Counsell was asked about the Mets this week in New York and offered no specifics.
“(The Cubs) was just the right fit for me,” Counsell said, according to the New York Post. “Everything that I … ended up looking for, it turned out to be the right fit in Chicago.”
Speed kills
With Pat Murphy as manager, the Brewers have been aggressive on the bases. They rank third in MLB with 40 stolen bases. The Cubs padded their total against the Mets this week, but are middle of the pack with 17.
This brings to mind a developing story about the athleticism in the NL Central. The Reds lead MLB in stolen bases with 55. Based on StatCast sprint speed numbers, the Reds and Brewers are loaded with sprinters.
Cincinnati has three of the top 23 fastest players in MLB (Elly De La Cruz, Bubba Thompson and Stuart Fairchild). Milwaukee has four of the top 39 (Brice Turang, Oliver Dunn, Sal Frelick and Blake Perkins). The fastest player in MLB, according to this measurement, is St. Louis rookie outfielder Victor Scott II, who is currently in the minors.
Pete Crow-Armstrong is tied for No. 13 on the sprint list. He's the only Cubs player in the top 70, and PCA may return to Iowa when Cody Bellinger returns from broken ribs.
The Cubs aren't necessarily a slow team, since Seiya Suzuki, Bellinger, Nico Hoerner, Christopher Morel and Dansby Swanson all have above-average speed. But the athleticism among their division rivals is an issue to watch in the coming years.
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