Sports

Craig Counsell's reaction to Vaughn grand slam becomes instant internet hit

Craig Counsell hasn’t lost a step when it comes to swift reactions or meme generation.

A camera shot of Andrew Vaughn’s grand slam against the Cubs on July 29 had an amazing postscript, with the camera panning to Counsell in the Cubs dugout as he immediately picked up the bullpen phone while the ball was in flight.

Counsell had just seen Vaughn’s swing turn a 5-2 game in the sixth into a 9-2 laugher, and the skipper was already putting the wheels in motion to get relief pitcher Brooks Kriske warming as a replacement for Ryan Pressly. Needless to say, Counsell knew the ball was gone.

It’s not unusual for Counsell to move quickly toward the phone cradle, with a Brewers player hitting a grand slam, no less. In 2023, when Mark Canha hit an epic September grand slam to break a tie in the eighth, Counsell — still the Brewers manager at the time — could be spotted in the background sprinting toward the bullpen phone, presumably to call off a higher-leverage reliever.

Even when the bullpen phone isn’t working, Counsell has a Plan B, like when his creative hand gestures helped summon Brent Suter into a 2022 game.

This particular instance became a perfect grace note for Brewers fans, who have now seen the Brewers explode offensively against the former Central frontrunner Cubs and the former Brewers manager on back-to-back nights.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Craig Counsell’s reaction to Vaughn grand slam becomes internet hit

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