The betrayal of the century

I felt sick. The moment I checked my phone and saw our beloved third baseman and now former manager had left for the fellow I-94 laden team, the Chicago Cubs. I knew Craig Counsell was probably not coming back to the Milwaukee Brewers next season as he had made himself into a name synonymous with the best managers in the game.

I would have been OK rooting for whatever team Counsell went to besides the St. Louis Cardinals and… the Chicago Cubs. It’s not really that I have disdain for the franchise itself. I relatively like the players that play for the Cubs with the exception of one or two players over the years. My issue comes with the fans. I’m not talking about local fans. I can take Abbotsford City Administrator Josh Soyk ragging on me once in a while when his beloved Cubs sweep the Brewers.

I struggle with the Cubs fans that are from Chicago and the ones that attend Cubs-Brewers games in Milwaukee. They like to call American Family Field “Wrigley North” signifying that the Brewers’ stadium is the Cubs’ home away from home because their fans travel north to cheer them on.

Initially, I wanted to deny it. I wanted to tell people that Cubs fans aren’t even that prevalent in Milwaukee. Then I went to a Cubs-Brewers game. They are extremely prevalent in Milwaukee. Then I got to thinking about it. I realized I wouldn’t want to pay Wrigley Field prices to watch the Cubs play either so of course I’d want to travel an hour north to see them play in a better stadium. It makes perfect sense.

I sat a couple seats down from rowdy Cubs fans who were yelling and disrespectful all game. It was something I hadn’t seen from baseball fans before. I’ve known Minnesota Vikings fans who can be obnoxious or delusional at times but that’s football. It’s a much more emotional sport. I thought baseball fans were supposed to be the most docile of all the major sports fans.

The truth is, the Cubs are probably the franchise I wish the Brewers were. They are a historic franchise that has a historic ballpark and have owners who are willing to go deep into their pockets to afford players and now, an excellent manager. That is something we haven’t seen from Brewers ownership in a long time. From an outsider’s view, it seems as if the Brewers brass are content with keeping the team competitive enough to make the playoffs or at least be in the playoff hunt without going the extra mile to win a championship.

Being in the hunt ensures that attendance and therefore, concession sales will be there throughout the duration of the season. This ensures the owner’s profit is maximized without spending an exorbitant amount on payroll.

Getting back to Counsell, it was reported that the Brewers were offering a salary that was $2.5 million below what the Cubs offered. For a club that is asking the public to fund $545 million in funding for stadium repairs, it doesn’t seem like $2.5 million should keep you from retaining one of, if not the best, managers in the game.

Speeding

Through

L

ife