What we learned: May 5, 2015

The Brewers announced that Craig Counsell will be the next manager of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Rumors about the hiring had been building on Sunday night, but on Monday, it all came together. Monday morning, the Brewers officially announced that Craig Counsell had been signed to be the Brewers next manager. The initial contract runs through the 2017 season, meaning this isn't just an interim hiring. The Brewers are committed to Counsell for the next few years. There's been plenty of coverage about this hiring, so let's look at what people around the web are saying.

From BCB

• If you missed the press conference introducing Counsell as manager, Noah posted a FanShot with the full video.
• Craig Counsell's first lineup as manager was heavy with right-handed bats as they faced LHP Clayton Kershaw. Jean Segura was not in the lineup while dealing with potential concussion symptoms, but is expected to be back in the lineup tonight.
• In a poll yesterday, 77% of you said that you agree with the Brewers decision to name Craig Counsell as the new manager, though 21% of those people do not like the contract length. Only 10% of people do not like the decision, with 13% currently undecided.
• The change in managers shocked many of the players in the clubhouse, including Ryan Braun. Noah notes that Braun was shocked about the managerial change and feels terrible for Ron Roenicke, but also likes bringing in Counsell as manager.
• Over in the FanPosts, great198 wrote a love letter to Craig Counsell.

Around the Web

• A rebuild may still be on the table for the Brewers, but they need more information before making any massive changed. Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel notes that naming Counsell manager should jolt the players out of their comfort zones and find out what the real reason is behind the Brewers poor performance.
• Despite the 7-18 start to the season, the Brewers haven't commited to a rebuild yet. Adam McCalvy of Brewers.com reports that the Brewers want to see what Counsell can do this season before making any other big changes.
• While none of the other coaches were replaced, it's still possible that other changes could come to the coaching staff. Adam McCalvy notes that Counsell is still thinking through things about the staff, but does plan to rely on some of the coaches early on, specifically bench coach Jerry Narron.
• It's hard (if not impossible) to find anyone that doesn't like the Brewers hiring of Counsell as manager. Mike Bauman of MLB.com also loves the hiring, believing that the Brewers chose a winner with Counsell.
• Since Craig Counsell has no previous coaching experience, it's tough to evaluate what he could bring as the Brewers manager. Chris Cwik of Big League Stew looks at recent first-time managers to try to figure out how well Counsell could do in his first season.
• Over on Disciples of Uecker, Nicholas Zettel provides his take on naming Counsell manager, noting that Counsell looks more like a ballplayer than a manager.
• What lessons can Craig Counsell bring to the Brewers? Michael Clair of Cut4 compiled a list of essential baseball skills that Counsell can teach his players.
• Let's also not forget about the player legacy of Craig Counsell. Yesterday served as a good reminder that Craig Counsell is the best player from the steroid era.

Yesterday's Results

Brewers 4, Dodgers 3

The Brewers made sure that this would be one of the best days of Craig Counsell's life by getting him a win in last night's game. They fell behind right away as Joc Pedersen hit a leadoff home run, and went behind 3-0 after four innings. The Brewers got their first run on back-to-back triples by Hector Gomez and Gerardo in the sixth inning, and then cut it to 3-2 on a Hector Gomez home run in the eighth. Adam Lind then hit a double to chase Clayton Kershaw from the game, then Carlos Gomez doubled to tie the game at 3. Two batters later, Gomez scored from third on an infield single to give the Brewers a 4-3 lead, and Francisco Rodriguez closed out the win in the ninth. It was a storybook ending to an amazing day for Craig Counsell.

More Brewers News & Notes

Ron Roenicke & Rebuilding

• With Roenicke gone, the decisions that the Brewers have made while he was manager are being reviewed. Over on Fox Sports, Ken Rosenthal writes that by firing Roenicke, the Brewers are admitting that they have screwed up.
• Over on Disciples of Uecker, Nicholas Zettel says that Ron Roenicke should be remembered as one of the best managers in Brewers history, and that it's not his fault the team collapsed.
• Building off of what Nicholas Zettel wrote, David Schoenfield of ESPN SweetSpot blames the Brewers struggles with their current players on poor drafts in recent years. However, he also writes that firing the manager during the season has worked for teams in the past.
• Firing a manager can bring out some negative feelings in people. Enrique Bakemeyer has some thoughts on this phenomenon, and also looked through the comments on JSOnline to find some of the worst remarks from people.
• If the Brewers decide to rebuild, who would be on the block? Jay Jaffe of SI.com looks at some of the potential trade candidates that the Brewers have.

Other Notes

• Prior to yesterday's game, Derek posted his series preview for the Brewers-Dodgers series.
• The Brewers honored the University of Wisconsin's basketball team prior to last night's game, and Cait Covers the Bases has some pictures from the festivities. She also reviews some of the new items for this homestand at AJ Bombers.

Minor League Update

News & Notes

• The Shuck Dynasty blog has an audio overview of how the Brewers minor league affiliates performed over the last week.
• Over on Reviewing the Brew, Pete Schwichtenberg has a farm report on the Biloxi Shuckers. Also, Michael Trzinski looks at the 1974 minor-league season of Sixto Lezcano.

Today's Action

Game two of the Counsell era is tonight, and the Brewers will try to build off of the first game victory that they got for the new manager. Former Brewer Zack Greinke returns to Miller Park to start tonight, and Matt Garza will get the call on the other side. First pitch is at 7:10 pm, and Ken Gurnick of MLB.com has the preview.