Cubs manager Craig Counsell reflects on 2025 season after NLDS Game 5 loss | Marquee Sports Network

Go ahead. First, um, just congratulations to the Brewers. Um, it’s a very good baseball team and and a team that, you know, deperves and and earned their way um for the right to play, go to the World Series. So, they that’s a good baseball team. All right, we’ll start with questions. We’ll start Megan down in the front. Craig, uh, just how would you describe the feelings, the conversations after the game in the clubhouse and and just the emotions you’re feeling right now? Well, I mean, it’s it’s I think I mean, I’m disappointed. I’m sad. Um, I think, you know, I think this team did a lot to honor the Chicago Cub uniform. Um, and in the big picture, that’s that’s how I feel. But you’re I’m you know like what did we do wrong tonight? That’s kind of what you guys you’re stuck on and why didn’t why didn’t we get why couldn’t we get anything going you know so it’s hard to get past that right now go up to the third row side. Craig in general, it seemed like you guys didn’t put a lot of pressure on there, but then in the sixth inning, it seemed that seemed like the game you had your key guys up with two men on and no outs and couldn’t get the big hit. It seemed like that was the theme, not getting the big hit in general this series. Um, yeah, I mean, we had we had six base runners tonight, so you know, if you take say homer and then those two, that’s, you know, that’s half of our base runners. So, that was the inning. Um, and that was the inning with the middle of the lineup up. Um, you know, Ashby made a pretty darn good pitch. 3-2 to Tucker. Um, you know, right looked looked like right down and away on the corner was nasty pitch. Um, you know, Seya had a good at bat against Patrick for sure. Um, had good at bats all night. Say it did. Um, and then, you know, then they’re kind of got a they got out they got out of it essentially. you had a chance to get out of it. But that I agree. I mean, that’s really the only inning you could talk about. We didn’t we just didn’t do much. We had, you know, six base runners. You know, you’re going to have to hit homers to to have to have any runs scoring in in scenarios like that. So, they pitched very well. I mean, they pitched they pitched super well and and we didn’t, you know, the only the only inning that we really disrupted maybe the plan was was the sixth. Um and and they I think they just the rest of the game they they did a heck of a job. John second row Craig kind of on you know going off that like if you look at the guys who produced tonight it was Nico Seiya and Bush and the rest of the lineup struggled. Do you I mean do you put that more on the pitching or do you or is it some of the approaches and some of the just kind of results that happen? Look, I mean, look, we faced, you know, this team is loaded with very good pitching. Um, it’s it’s a it’s certainly a strength of the team and it’s it’s why they won so many games and um, you know, the Miserowski, you know, got through his four got four innings and got 12 outs for him and that, you know, put the game in pretty good order for him. I mean, they pitched well. I mean, they they they pitched well. Um, we took some good swings off your rebate. Just kind of at them balls. Um, but they they pitch well down front. Megan from the pitching pitching side on your guys’ end. Just how did you feel like things unfolded in terms of, you know, laying out how you wanted to use those guys and then conversely just being so close with those two out solo homers? I mean, in in general, we we pitched well. I think if you’d have told me we gave up three runs going into the night, you probably have to say, “Yep, that’s we we pitched well with with kind of running a full bullpen game,” um I I would have been happy with that. Um you know, when you give up the runs, you know, you’re you can say what if, but um you know, they they they hit some pitches. Maybe Collins pitched that. Andrew Vaughn probably wanted that one back, but Pomerance’s pitch was pretty darn good pitch. Um, and and the guys did did their job. I mean, it it didn’t really go necessarily the way that I thought it was going to go, but but the guy we did a nice job and the guys pieced it together. Go to Steve in the second round. Thanks, Craig. might be might be a little hard to consider this question already, but you know, you’re two seasons in, you improved by, I think, nine games, but you haven’t won the division. You haven’t surmounted the Brewers. Is are you uh encouraged by are you pleased with the progress, the trajectory two years in? I mean, you know, we won 92 games this year. that’s you you’ll take that every single year. Um I think every every team would um the playoffs are a different animal. It’s it’s it’s a completely different than the season. Um uh totally different. So you know ultimately the reason why you want to win 92 games is because you want to play in a World Series and then win a World Series. Um and we should have those expectations. We should have them every year. Uh that’s that’s why you know when you say you win 90 games like because you got a chance to win the World Series if you do that. Um when you don’t do it it’s disappointing but 92 games winning 92 games is not disappointing. Go up to the third row on the aisle. Hey Cart. Um obviously both teams well acquainted with each other, both fan bases well acquainted with each other. There’s a lot of momentum in Chicago when you guys were there. A lot of momentum here for games one and two. How important is homefield advantage in this series? And what can you say about both the crowds at Wrigley and the crowds here? Yeah, I mean I think look it’s it’s both both ways are fun really. I mean it’s fun going against a hostile crowd and it’s fun playing on your own own crow in front of your own crowd. Um and you got to kind of embrace both but which are but they’re different. Um yeah, I mean I think you know you’d rather always have more games at home. It doesn’t the numbers don’t necessarily say it’s a huge advantage, but but absolutely I wish you know to get home field advantage is always one of the goals you have in a season. Of course, um skipping the first round is one of the goals you have in the season. Um, you know, we gave ourselves a shot and I think, you know, that that part of it you you’d kind of take every year and give yourself a shot. Tony Craig, you said early on that you think this team did a lot to um to make the Chicago fan base proud to wear the Chicago Cubs uniform. I’m just curious what kind of stood out to you about this team either in this series or this year in general. Well, I mean, there’s a lot you go into, but I I I think just the the it’s it’s the five games we played at Wrigley Field in the playoffs is kind of tells you what about that means so much to it. And I think it meant so much to the to our players to do that, to provide that for our for our fans. Um, and that’s what you do. You honor the uniform, you honor the place. um that that’s like not the results goal, but that’s that’s always like what we’re what our job is to do is to do those two things. Um and we did that. Um we we we didn’t get it done today. Um and that and that hurts, man. It it doesn’t feel good. Um but I but I think when you zoom back a little bit well, you know, we did some good things as well. [Music]

Hear from Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell after a 3-1 loss in Game 5 of the best-of-five NL Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers, as he reflects on the 2025 season.

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Cubs manager Craig Counsell reflects on 2025 season after NLDS Game 5 loss | Marquee Sports Network

35 comments

  1. Craig is outstanding. I’m so glad he’s our manager and will be for years to come. He embodies this city and this organization. His bosses, Jed and Tom? Yeah, not so much.

  3. he Brewers are a helluva team. Complete professionalism all across the organization. Look at the players that didn't really see a MLB field until they were in their late 20s – Megill, Collins, Koenig, Patrick. Plus players that were given up on by teams – Priester, VAughn. Go Brewers!!!

  6. Hard lost to take but im proud of my Cubbies for atleast being in the playoffs. Couple adjustments next year and we should be able to take things further. Just happy we are not at the bottom no more, the future is bright!

  12. management lost this game bro –
    1. THE LINE UP was so bad bro why did we set up like that – said this all second half of the season when the manager starts doing random stuff instead of what works like in the first half
    2. The pitching rotation what was that – let the good pitchers pitch man – changing every 20 pitches
    —- 3/2 situation for the homerun and we pitch a 88mph curve over the middle to a righty on righty — I saw that coming from another country bro – should've been fastball top left. everyone knows just not a curve in a 3/2 righty on righty
    3. Kyle Tucker run dog, lazy swings with a jog down the baseline — and bro 3/2 no OUTS, TWO MEN ON, TAKE THE WALK WHAT ARE YOU DOING – ugly swing too. chasing is crazy with no outs and two on. if you walk and then were loaded and tag up on any fly ball like seiya hit right after
    4. Craig counsell seems happy brewers one??? he have money on them??

    5. PCA, IAN, SHAW, NICO, BUSCH, DANSBY, KELLY hell of an effort this season, management failed you, failed us today. im sorry.

  14. Lol imagine using starting pitchers all year then in game 5 of the nlds you start a closer and use your entire roster 😂 CRAIG COUNSEL is a clown and should be fired, he thinks hes WAAAAAAYYYYY smarter than he actually is. Was he trying to save a starter for the nlcs that we didnt make it to? You need to win the game in front of you first. He literally lost the game today.

  18. I loved this team! No trades, no griping, seemed so collegial. I know people feel they needed more but I for one loved this whole team. Bleeding Cubbie blue all the way over here in Mumbai, India.

  21. Craig, great Season!!! When Justin Steele went down, not to mention Shota, I thought no shot at the playoffs. Your demeanor is perfect for leading a team over the long haul with ups and downs. Keep it going. I actually attended my first Spring Training in Mesa in March seeing a decent lineup in place. Ownership needs to do it's part and listen to you and not the middleman in the pieces you think it'll take to get to the Dance. Great season and wishing you all the best!! Class Act!!

  22. Counsell was and is a fine manager. Cubs' choice of swings was brutal for a few guys. The pitching was good enough. Their ability to string hits together in the last couple of months was awful. Their timely hitting? Bad. This season falls on Hoyer. Not getting another arm for a starter and one or two power bats spelled doom. You mean to tell me that last winter when he was analyzing personnel that he “knew” that Busch, Kelly, and Hoerner -and even Armstrong the punk – would have the years they had?? That the bullpen would turn out as good as it was? Hoyer blew it. I hope Milwaukee wins it all. I really like the manager – he is a riot. And they play baseball like it should be played. Go away, LA!

  23. I am surprised that I am so ok with how it ended. Having a young core of guys, high profile pitchers with Cade and Wiggins to look forward to, Steele coming back. Glad they got this experience and gosh dang it was fun to have October baseball. Good with any team winning the WS except the Dodgers 😂

  24. If your stars do not hit and make things happen (Tucker, PCA, Happ), then you will lose. Kudos to Busch, Suzuki and Hoerner who did their jobs consistently throughout the playoffs. They can hold their heads high. The rest? Disappointments big-time.

  26. Should of sat Armstrong & put a pinch hitter in. Home runidess did you in. Should of hit to right center, behind the runners. Stay on damn base till fly ball is caught, then tag up & run. Base hits & defense wins games.

  27. The more i watch craig….the less i like him….where the fuck was assad?….ben brown?….ok…he pitches well againt the brewers….seroius head shaking moves this season

  28. From a Brewers fan, I got nothing but respect for Craig. Who cares if he goes to coach the Cubs, it's the business of the sport.

    Anyways, fun series to watch. Best of luck next year 🙏🏻

  33. Nico Hoerner was 9 for 20 (.450) w/ a HR in the NLDS and was the Cubs only consistent player in the Playoffs like he was in the regular season. The Cubs MUST extend him in the offseason!!! The Cubs need more guys like Nico Hoerner and less guys like Ian Happ and Kyle Tucker on their roster. If the Cubs, and it's a big IF, go get some solid SPs, a closer and more guys like Nico over the winter then they will compete with the Brewers next season. If they don't then it will just be more of the same like it has been for the last 8 years.

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