By Matt Mueller Culture Editor Published Nov 06, 2023 at 1:16 PM Photography: Milwaukee Brewers

In a local sports betrayal not seen since Favre landed on the Vikings, reports say that manager Craig Counsell is leaving the Milwaukee Brewers not for the New York Mets or the Cleveland Guardians ... but the freaking Chicago Cubs. 

After an eventful afternoon of strange twists and turns on Twitter, Counsell's decision was first reported by The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. Rosenthal also reports the deal to the Cubs is worth five years and more than $40 million, making him the highest paid manager in the league. 

Counsell's decision to leave the Brewers isn't entirely surprising. Despite the former player and manager's hometown connections to Wisconsin, there were always rumors of Counsell departing for greener financial pastures – such as the Cleveland Guardians or particularly the New York Mets, who'd just hired former Milwaukee president of baseball operations David Stearns this offseason. However, before Counsell's decision, the Cleveland Guardians announced Stephen Vogt as their new manager, followed by the New York Mets revealing Carlos Mendoza would serve as their new clubhouse leader.

MLB reporters Rosenthal and Ken Heyman then revealed on Twitter that Counsell would not be going to one of the expected locales – including Milwaukee – but somewhere previously not on the radar. That location would turn out to be, stunningly, the rival Chicago Cubs – despite the hometown connections to Milwaukee, despite a reported multi-year deal from the Brewers that would've similarly made him the richest manager in baseball and despite the Cubs technically already having a manager in David Ross. 

Counsell may leave on a sour note, but he's given Brewers fans pretty much nothing but sweet memories since becoming manager in 2015. Over his nine seasons with Milwaukee, Counsell racked up a 707-625 record – the most wins of any Brewers manager. During that time, Counsell oversaw the most successful stretch in franchise history, going to the postseason in five of the past six seasons and making it to the National League Championship Series for only the team's third time in 2018. 

So now that we know Counsell certainly won't manage the Brewers next year, the question is: Who will? Stay tuned to OnMilwaukee for any updates – and here's to next year's Cubs/Brewers series at American Family Field somehow becoming even more angry and heated. 

Matt Mueller Culture Editor

As much as it is a gigantic cliché to say that one has always had a passion for film, Matt Mueller has always had a passion for film. Whether it was bringing in the latest movie reviews for his first grade show-and-tell or writing film reviews for the St. Norbert College Times as a high school student, Matt is way too obsessed with movies for his own good.

When he's not writing about the latest blockbuster or talking much too glowingly about "Piranha 3D," Matt can probably be found watching literally any sport (minus cricket) or working at - get this - a local movie theater. Or watching a movie. Yeah, he's probably watching a movie.