By Joey Mistretta

Copyright clutchpoints

Former MLB player Craig Counsell managed the Milwaukee Brewers from 2015-2023, establishing himself as one of the better coaches in the sport along the way. In 2024, Counsell signed a historic contract to manage one of the Brewers’ NL Central rivals, the Chicago Cubs. With the Cubs and Brewers set to play in the 2025 NLDS, one of the emerging storylines is Counsell facing the team he once managed. Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich is not concerned with the storyline, however.
“It’s still baseball. Managers put players in positions that they think they’re going to be successful, and that’s it,” Yelich said, via Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. “It’s different than other sports. It’s not like Couns has exotic blitz packages or a good play action pass game.”
Yelich downplayed the impact a manager has in baseball with a football comparison. The outfielder — who spent multiple years playing for Counsell after getting traded to Milwaukee from the Miami Marlins ahead of the 2018 season — used the comparison to brush aside the overall angle.
Players are doing everything they can to focus on the baseball element of the series. There will be plenty of outside noise focused on various storylines. The Brewers have home field advantage, so Counsell’s return will receive attention.
Nevertheless, Yelich is clearly not attempting to focus on the storyline. The Brewers have often been competitive in recent seasons with Yelich on the team, but Milwaukee is still looking to bring home a championship. As a leader, Yelich understands the importance of ignoring potential distractions.
The Cubs defeated the San Diego Padres in the NL Wild Card series to book their ticket to the NLDS. The big-market clash between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies will probably be the most popular NLDS matchup, but the Cubs-Brewers series will likely be competitive as well.