Like many before him, Craig Counsell fell under the spell of Wrigley Field.
Counsell was around Wrigley Field the day he was introduced as the 56th manager in Cubs history and acknowledged the level of energy he felt just joining his new organization.
“The Friendly Confines” is not an odd place for Counsell, who played more than 50 games at Wrigley during his 16-year MLB career. He also coached in the same division as the Cubs for nearly a decade, making multiple trips to Chicago’s North Side each year.
But when Counsell returned to Wrigley Field on Monday, he reflected on his first experience with Clark and Addison at corner.
He grew up in Whitefish Bay, less than 100 miles from Wrigley. But he never went there as a child.
“I watched Cubs games on TV with Harry Carey,” he said. “My first game here was actually a year before I played here. I was in the minor leagues when I broke my leg. My wife Michelle has an apartment in Newport. I was there.
“She teaches at Old St. Pat’s Primary School and dragged me up here. I had a broken leg and climbed the stairs, but to be honest, being here I wasn’t very happy with it,” he said. smile.
Counsell now has very different feelings about the historic stadium.
“What’s happening here is the right thing and this is something really special,” Counsell said. “That’s a big part of this time for me. I think we saw right away that the organization is very healthy from a baseball standpoint.” Jed [Hoyer] He presented a very convincing vision.
“It’s time to be a Cub. There’s momentum here and we feel it’s close. That means we have a really exciting future ahead of us. And now we’re ready to take us to the next level.” My job is to play a role in raising the bar.”