Managing The Intangibles

Cubs grab Craig Counsell. Will he matter?

Great manager. Evidently.

FreeForAll Wednesday, in which I recognize and appreciate Mobsters who haven’t yet commenced a paid subscription. Enjoy.

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The Chicago Cubs opened the bank vault and welcomed in Craig Counsell. Counsell will make $40 million across the next five years to manage the oft-forlorn Cubbies who, despite a world title in 2016, still carry a whiff of Curse on them.

Which prompts a question:

Is a manager worth $40 mil? Why?

And why Craig Counsell?

The role of a baseball manager is both specific and vague. His influence on the day-to-day is vital, yet not fully defined. Now that analytics is telling managers what their lineups should look like, and who should pitch when in relief, the human element is even less clear.

We debate managers here all year, every year. In Cincinnati, ripping the Reds manager is a cottage sport. David Bell has been a pinata. At least he has good company. Dusty Baker had more holes in him than a Bengals fan owning a Big Ben voodoo doll.

I tend to go easier on Reds managers than most fans do, partly because I’m not smart enough to notice all the apparent screw-ups Reds managers make. If I see players who play hard, seem to enjoy coming to the park, are prepared and don’t bitch about the manager off the record, I tend to give the skipper some rope.

When you ask Reds devotees what they don’t like about the manager du jour, their reasons are as varied and murky as the job description itself. That’s because, beyond wins and losses, the job can’t be quantified. There’s no WAR attached to a manager’s resume.

And yet, Craig Counsell is seen as the best manager in the game.

In nine years running the low-budget Brewers, Counsell won three NL Central titles and made the playoffs five times. He won 53 percent of the time. You looked at Milwaukee’s meager lineup this summer and wondered how that was.

Maybe that’s good managing.

His players have been quoted over the years saying Counsell “let them be themselves.’’ OK, great. What does that mean?

His peers say Counsell “stays ahead of the game,’’ which is a beautiful phrase but a little nebulous. Don’t all managers try to stay ahead of the game? Isn’t that why David Bell had all his relievers warming in the 5th inning, seemingly every night?

Torey Lovullo

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For my money, Bell did an excellent job dragging 82 Ws across the finish line, with a pitching staff that, by September, was Swiss cheese. Nobody’s awarding Bell for that. The D-Backs Torey Lovullo is the favorite for NL MOY. He had Cy Young insider Zac Gallen in his starting rotation, and steady-as-she-goes Merrill Kelly.

CBS Sports praises “Counsell's even-keeled personality, tactical acumen, and sustained record of success.’’ Fine, but that’s vague enough to sound like the resume of any successful manager, in baseball, business, life or playing Texas Hold-’Em.

So. . . what?

It’s indicative of what MLB thinks of a manager’s importance that Counsell’s money is major news. Eight million? That’s platoon outfielder money. It’s also $3.5 mil more than the next-highest paid skipper in 2023, Cleveland’s Terry Francona.

Even the best managers aren’t often given long-term contracts, certainly not compared to the people they manage. That, in a job where long-term stability and continuity should be highly prized.

Will the Cubs be better with Craig Counsell in the dugout? You’d think so. After all he’s a good manager. Whatever that means.

Now, then. . .

CJ Stroud

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THE ANARUMO BOWL is Sunday. Lou’s ball-hawking defense v. C.J. Stroud’s unusually smart decision-making. Lou’s brain versus. . . Stroud’s brain?

In a year when QB play hasn’t been stellar, a rookie QB from Ohio State of all places is lighting it up. He has 15 TD passes and 1 INT. He and Tua are the only QBs with yards-per-attempt exceeding 8. His freshman NFL season — dare we say it? — is at this point better than Joe Burrow’s was. Last Sunday v. Tampa, Stroud threw for 5 TDs, 470 yards. . . and no picks.

Why?

Houston.com: “I think the big thing with him is just his confidence, his belief in himself, his competitiveness, his pride, and the respect that he’s earned with his performance from his teammates,’’ said Texans GM Nick Caserio.

Sound like anyone we know?

Stroud threw four TD passes in the 2nd half Sunday, including the game-winner at the buzzer, in between three defenders, on the chalk. SI.com:

Stroud, like other elite quarterbacks, became completely, robotically absorbed in the moment.

Rookies aren’t supposed to play this way. Especially not rookie quarterbacks.

Yahoo! Sports suggested this AM that Stroud is in the photo for NFL MVP. The only rookie so honored was Jim Brown, in 1957.

Lou-versus-Who? could be a classic.

ANOTHER REASON TO LIKE MIKE TOMLIN. . . The Steelers won last week. Rookie wideout George Pickens pouted because he didn’t get the ball enough. ESPN.com:

A day after the Steelers' win against the Titans, Pickens unfollowed the team on Instagram and deleted all references to the team and all posts except a highlight reel from April 2020 from his account. Some social media users also grabbed screenshots of a later-deleted Instagram Story that was captioned, "free me."

Well.

Someone asked Tomlin Monday how he felt about that. ESPN.com, again:

Tomlin dismissed the idea of any trouble brewing with the receiver when he was asked how he coaches young players like Pickens through adversity.

"Like breathing, it's easy," Tomlin said. "I know it's a cute story for you guys, but it is a pebble in my shoe, to be quite honest with you, in terms of the things that I have to do in an effort to get this group ready to play. It's like reality television, the way you guys follow social media and write stories about it."

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MY WIFE IS GOING OUT OF TOWN for the weekend, starting today, so after I drop her off at CVG my first stop will be the frozen food aisle at Kroger, where I will pick up a couple family-sized Stouffer’s lasagnas and eat them for the next four or five nights.

I do not cook.

I grill, sometimes, when the weather works. Even with that, it’s nothing complex. Just slam a hunk o’ meat on the grates and hope it doesn’t go crispy while I’m drinking a Keystone. Other than that. . .

When I got outta college and moved into my first apartment, my parents — who knew me well — got me a crock pot. In that wondrous vessel, I concocted beef stews, chilis, soups and a spaghetti sauce of sorts.

And I ate whatever I made every night for as long as it lasted.

Cooking seems a glorious hobby. Like stamp-collecting or backgammon, it never interested me. My stomach is not a shrine.

My son’s a very good cook. Jillian makes the best cakes I’ve ever tasted. How Kerry retains an interest in preparing delicious food for me after 40-plus seasons, I’ll never know. For the record, I’m grateful.

She’s absent ‘til Monday. I’m hangin’ out with my good friend Stouffer.

Who’s with me on this?

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THIS MICHIGAN THING. . . changes every day. Yahoo’s Dan Wetzel, who explains college-sports shenanigans as well as anyone, writes

Last Friday, Michigan presented the Big Ten with evidence that someone on the Rutgers football staff provided Michigan’s defensive signals to Purdue in advance of the Boilermaker-Wolverine 2022 Big Ten title game. Meanwhile, someone at Ohio State handed over U of M’s offensive signals.

So in the Big Ten Championship Game, both teams had the other’s signals, both of which were gathered via advanced scouting. (Michigan won, 43-22.)

Michigan’s defense, as far as I can tell: Everybody does it.

What I don’t understand, even though I should, is how much does Purdue or, my goodness, Rutgers, believe sign-stealing is going to help them v. Michigan? Player-stealing, OK. Swipe Michigan’s 10-best players, maybe you lose by 10 instead of 21. Knowing what’s coming isn’t the same as stopping it. It’s a little like wearing a down parka when you’re waiting on the avalanche.

Meantime, Michigan has until today to respond to the Big Ten, at which time discipline could be imposed. Unless it’s not.

TUNE O’ THE DAY. . . My favorite guy hasn’t graced This Space for awhile. Been too long, Van. One of his best singles, IMO. Also, almost never heard.