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Craig Counsell #30
B/T: L/R
Craig Counsell
#30 2B
Summary Stats Awards Shop
MLB Career Stats
4741 .255 42 390 103 .686
Craig Counsell Bio
Fullname: Craig John Counsell
Nickname: The Chicken
Born: 8/21/1970 in South Bend, IN
Draft: 1992, Colorado Rockies, Round: 11, Overall Pick: 319
College: Notre Dame
Debut: 9/17/1995
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Craig John Counsell
**PERSONAL** Is married.....wife's name is Michelle.....the couple has two sons, Brady and Jack, and two daughters, Finley and Rowan…Is a 1988 graduate of White fish Bay (WI) High School…Graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1992 with a degree in accounting… In 2012, the town of White fish Bay named the park that is home to the Whitefish Bay Little League in his honor…He and his family support a number of causes, including the Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee, the Malaika Early Learning Center, the Boys & Girls Clubs and Notre Dame Athletics…His father, John, was an out fielder in the Twins organization from 1964-68.....John Counsell also worked for the Brewers as director of the speakers bureau (1979-85) and director of community relations (1986-87)…The spikes that Craig wore when he scored the game-winning run of the 1997 World Series were on display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, NY. **COACHING CAREER** Begins his second season as a Major League manager (61-76) and first full season.....was named the 19th manager in franchise history on 5/4/15, replacing Ron Roenicke…Did not have any coaching/managing experience prior to being named manager of the Brewers.....prior to his current position, served as a special assistant to the general manager (2012-15).
Appeared in 107 games this season, including 28 starts (12g at SS, 9g at 3B, 7g at 2B)...Tied Bill Bergen (Brooklyn, 1909) and Dave Campbell (SD, StL & Hou, 1973) for the longest single-season hitless streak by a position player in modern Major League history (since 1900) as he went 0-for-45 from 6/11-8/3...Is the all-time franchise leader in pinch-hits (41) and pinch-hit at-bats (167)...batted .200 (8-for-40) as a pinch hitter this season.
Batted .250 with 2 HR and 21 RBI in 102 games...Made 35 starts (25g at SS, 9g at 3B, 1g at 2B)...Batted .333 (13-for-39) as a pinch hitter.....is the all-time franchise leader in pinch hits (33) and pinch-hit at-bats (127)...Belted his third career grand slam (off Miguel Batista) to cap a 10-run first inning on 4/18 at Washington...Played in his 1,500th career game on 8/22 vs. San Diego (started at shortstop)...Fielded the final out of Trevor Hoffman's 600th career save game on 9/7 vs. St. Louis on an Aaron Miles ground ball to shortstop...Re-signed with the Brewers to a 1-year contract on 12/22.
Batted .285 with 4 HR and 39 RBI in 130 games...Made 90 starts (44 G at 2B, 27 G at 3B, 19 G at SS)...Posted his highest batting average since hitting .282 with Arizona in 2002...His 8 triples led the team and tied for eighth in the National League...Batted .295 (23-for-78) with runners in scoring position...From 6/15-6/29 had an 11-game hitting streak during which he batted .351 (13-for-37) with 1 HR and 5 RBI...From 7/17-7/30 had a 12-game hitting streak during which he batted .408 (20-for-49) with 2 HR and 8 RBI...On 7/7 vs. St. Louis notched his 100th career stolen base...For the second consecutive season won the Brewers' Good Guy Award as voted on by members of the Milwaukee Chapter of the BBWAA...Re-signed with the Brewers to a one-year contract on 12/14.
Batted .226 with 1 HR and 14 RBI in 110 games...Made 60 starts (30 G at 3B, 19 G at SS, 11 G at 2B)...From 6/11-6/21 started a season-high 10 consecutive games (5 G at SS, 5 G at 2B) for the injured J.J. Hardy and Rickie Weeks (12-39, .308, 1 HR, 3 RBI)...His only home run of the year came on 6/17 vs. Toronto (solo off Dustin McGowan)...Recorded career hit No. 1,000 on 8/16 at Los Angeles with a single off Derek Lowe...His club option for 2009 was declined on 10/31...he was re-signed on 1/19/09.
Batted .220 with 3 HR and 24 RBI in 122 games...Made 66 starts (27g at 3B, 22g at 2B, 17g at SS)...Committed only 2 errors, both throwing, on 7/3 at Pittsburgh (SS) and 9/3 vs. Houston (2B)...Recorded 3 hits and 3 RBI in a 9-4 victory on 4/8 vs. Chicago-NL.....also had a 3-hit game on 6/10 at Texas and a 3-RBI game on 9/3 vs. Houston
Batted .255 with 4 HR, 30 RBI and 15 stolen bases in 105 games with Arizona...Made 87 starts (83g at SS, 2g at 2B, 2g at 3B)...Belted a leadoff home run, the third of his career, off Steve Trachsel on 6/9 vs. New York-NL...Was on the 15-day disabled list from 7/15-8/21 with a fractured right rib.....suffered the injury swinging the bat on 7/14 vs. Milwaukee...Prior to the injury was batting .278 (85-for-306).....after the injury batted .152 (10-for-66)...Signed with Milwaukee as a free agent on 11/29.
Signed to a two-year deal during the offseason. ... His .990 fielding percentage tied for first in the NL. ... Set a career high with 26 stolen bases. ... His homer on Sept. 9 was his first off a lefty since July 8, 2003. Had a season-best 12-game hitting streak from June 7-21.
Joined Milwaukee as part of an 8-player trade the previous December, and he was the only member of the deal who experienced a homecoming, returning to the city in which he was raised when his father worked in the Brewers' front office...he was the Opening Day starting shortstop for the Brew Crew and appeared in 140 games overall, just one shy of his single-season best set with Arizona in 2001...Counsell established career highs with 473 at bats and 17 stolen bases, while matching a personal best with 5 triples...his .983 fielding percentage ranked fifth among National League shortstops, committing only 9 errors...he established a Milwaukee record by reaching base via catcher's interference 6 times, missing the National League mark of 7 held by Pittsburgh's Dale Berra in 1983 and the Major League record of 8 set by Roberto Kelly with the Yankees in 1992...he recorded his 600th career hit with a single off of John Grabow on July 3 at Pittsburgh...he hit .292 (26-for-89) with 9 runs scored, a home run, 2 RBI and 3 stolen bases in July...he had 2 singles in the third inning on September 6 at Pittsburgh joining Keith Ginter as the only Brewers with 2 hits in an inning in 2004.
Batted .234 with 3 HR, 21 RBI and 11 stolen bases in 89 games with Arizona...Made 74 starts (49g at 3B, 18g at SS, 7g at 2B)...Tied his career high with 4 RBI on 4/27 at New York-NL...Was on the 15-day disabled list from 5/7-7/6 with a dislocated right thumb.....suffered the injury on 5/6 vs. Philadelphia while breaking up a double play...Underwent surgery on 5/8 to repair the ligament damage (Dr. Don Sheridan)...Between 7/2-7/6 appeared in 5 games during a rehab assignment at Triple-A Tucson...Prior to the injury was batting .276 (32-for-116).....after the injury batted .209 (39-for-187)...Belted his first career leadoff homer on 7/8 vs. Colorado off Denny Neagle...Was traded to Milwaukee, along with 1B Lyle Overbay, 2B Junior Spivey, C Chad Moeller, LHP Chris Capuano and LHP Jorge De La Rosa, in exchange for 1B Richie Sexson, LHP Shane Nance and a player to be named (OF Noochie Varner) on 12/1.
Batted .282 with 2 HR and a career-high 51 RBI in 112 games with Arizona...Made 109 starts (88g at 3B, 11g at SS, 10g at 2B)...Produced a career-high 5 hits on 5/26 vs. Los Angeles as he went 5-for-6 with 2R, a double and 2 RBI Also had a 4-hit effort on 6/22 vs. Toronto, going 4-for-5...Tied his career high with 4 RBI on 6/27 at Houston...Belted his first career pinch-hit homer in the first game of a doubleheader on 8/3 at New York-NL with a game-tying solo shot off Armando Benitez in the ninth inning.....the Diamondbacks won, 8-5, in 10 innings...Was on the 15-day disabled list from 8/14-remainder of the season with a herniated disk in his neck.....suffered the injury while making a diving catch on 8/8 vs. Atlanta...Had surgery on 9/18 in Dallas, TX (Dr. Drew Dossett)...Batted .364 with runners in scoring position (40-for-110), which ranked third in the National League at the time his season ended.
Batted .275 with 4 HR and 38 RBI in 141 games with the World Champion Diamondbacks...Made 113 starts (46g at SS, 45g at 2B, 22g at 3B)...Produced three hitting streaks of at least 10 games...From 6/8-6/19 recorded a 10-game hitting streak, the first double-digit streak of his career (17-38, .447, 8rbi)...From 8/28-9/8 recorded a 12-game hitting streak.....the streak was snapped on 9/17 at Colorado when he struck out in his only plate appearance after entering the game on defense (20-50, .400, 2rbi)...Returned to the starting lineup the following night and from 9/18-10/4 recorded a career-high 13-game hitting streak (15-51, .294, 13rbi).....hit safely in 25 straight starts...Collected a season-high 4 hits on 7/25 vs. San Diego as he went 4-for-4 with 3R, a double and a walk...Produced his second 4-hit performance of the season on 9/5 at San Francisco as he went 4-for-5 with a careerhigh 4 runs, a double and a walk...Batted .213 (13-for-61) with 2 HR and 8 RBI in 16 games during the postseason...Belted his first career postseason home run in Game 3 of the NLDS vs. St. Louis at Busch Stadium with a 3-run shot off Mike Matthews in the seventh inning.....the home run gave the Diamondbacks a 5-2 lead in a game they won, 5-3...Was named Most Valuable Player of the NLCS vs. Atlanta, batting .381 (8-for-21) with 4 RBI in 5 games...All of his RBI in the NLCS came in the D'Backs 11-4 win in Game 4 on 10/20 at Turner Field (3-6, 2r, 2 2b, 4rbi)...Went just 2-for-24 in the World Series against the Yankees.....homered in his first at-bat of the series with a solo shot in the first inning of Game 1 off Mike Mussina...Despite struggling at the plate, produced 4 sacrifice bunts in the series, including a record-tying 3 sacrifices in Game 4 at Yankee Stadium.....tied a 95-year-old record held by the Cubs' Joe Tinker in 1906.
Was released by Los Angeles on 3/17 and signed a minor-league contract with Arizona on 3/20...Began the season at Triple-A Tucson, where he batted .348 with 3 HR and 27 RBI in 50 games...Contract was purchased by Arizona on 5/31...Batted .316 with 2 HR and 11 RBI in 67 games with the Diamondbacks...Made 33 starts (15g at 2B, 13g at 3B, 5g at SS)...Had a season-high 4 hits on 6/4 at Texas, going 4-for-4 with 2R, a double, a solo homer and a walk.....was his second game as a Diamondback.
Batted a combined .218 with 0 HR and 11 RBI in 87 games between Florida and Los Angeles...Began the season with the Marlins, batting just .152 with 2 RBI in 37 games.....made 10 starts, all at second base...Was traded to Los Angeles in exchange for a player to be named (LHP Ryan Moskau) on 6/15...Batted .259 with 9 RBI in 50 games with the Dodgers, making 23 starts, all at second base.
Batted .251 with 4 HR and 40 RBI in 107 games with Florida, making his first career Opening Day roster...Made 101 starts, all at second base...Was named to The Sporting News National League East All-Star Team...On Opening Day vs. Chicago-NL went 3-for-5 with a run, triple and 1 RBI...Hit his second career grand slam (and home run) on 4/16 vs. Philadelphia off Tyler Green.....the 4 RBI tied his career high...Season ended on 8/3 vs. Houston after he suffered a compound displaced fracture of the jaw bone.....the injury occured when he was hit by a C.J. Nitkowski pitch...Underwent surgery in Fort Lauderdale, FL to repair the lacerations and have his jaw bone internally stabilized (Dr. James Driscoli and Dr. Roberto Palma).
Began the season in the Rockies organization, where he batted .335 with 5 HR, 63 RBI and 12 stolen bases in 96 games at Triple-A Colorado Springs...Made his only appearance of the season with Colorado as a pinch runner on 7/26 vs. Chicago-NL...Was traded to Florida in exchange for RHP Mark Hutton on 7/27...Batted .299 with 1 HR and 16 RBI in 51 games with the Marlins.....made 47 starts, all at second base...Recorded his first Major League hit on 7/29 vs. Cincinnati with a single off Mike Morgan...His first career home run was a grand slam off Todd Stottlemyre on 8/24 vs. St. Louis ...Batted .293 (12-for-41) with 5 RBI in 15 games during the postseason...Scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning of Game 7 of the World Series vs. Cleveland on 10/26 at Pro Player Stadium.....also sent the game to extra innings with his sacrifice fly in the ninth inning.
MLB Career Stats 4741 647 1208 42 390 103 .255 .342 .686
World Series Championship
1997 Florida Marlins NL
2001 Arizona Diamondbacks NL
NLCS MVP
MLBPAA Diamondbacks Heart and Hustle Award
Brewers Good Guy Award
2008 Milwaukee Brewers NL
Baseball America Major League Manager of the Year
2009 8 8th in NL
2005 4 19th in NL
2004 5 23rd in NL
Caught Stealing
Stolen Bases
2006 15 24th in NL
2005 26 8th in NL
At Bats
2005 578 22nd in NL
Plate Appearances
2005 670 18th in NL
October 30, 2011 SS Craig Counsell elected free agency.
December 22, 2010 Milwaukee Brewers signed free agent SS Craig Counsell.
November 7, 2010 SS Craig Counsell elected free agency.
November 9, 2009 2B Craig Counsell elected free agency.