Craig Counsell’s Raw Letter to Cubs Fans: “You Have No Idea How Much It Means” – A Beacon of Hope After 2025’s Heartbreak.vc
Chicago, October 27, 2025 – Wrigley Field’s ivy walls have witnessed curses broken and dreams dashed, but rarely has a season left Cubs Nation as raw as 2025’s 85-77 slog—a third-place NL Central finish that teetered on the wild-card edge before crumbling under injuries and inconsistency. In the quiet aftermath, manager Craig Counsell, the $40 million architect of Milwaukee’s six straight postseasons, broke his silence with a letter that didn’t dodge the pain but embraced it. Posted on the Cubs’ website Monday, Counsell’s words—“You have no idea how much it means”—weren’t excuses or promises; they were a thank-you to fans who waved blue-and-white flags through rain-soaked losses. “When Wrigley is full on rainy nights… I know I’m in a special place,” he wrote. As #InCounsellWeTrust trends with 20K posts, this missive isn’t just reflection—it’s a rally cry for a faithful ready to rebuild.
A Turbulent First Year: From Brewers Buzz to Cubs Blues
Counsell’s November 2023 hire was MLB’s splashiest: A record $40M over five years, poaching him from a Brewers dynasty that won 93+ games annually. Expectations soared: Pair his tactical genius with a core of Seiya Suzuki, Ian Happ, and a healthy Justin Steele, and the Cubs would reclaim October. Instead, 2025 delivered daggers—Steele’s oblique strain (missed May–July), Cody Bellinger’s oblique tweak (June–August), and a bullpen ERA ballooning to 4.12 (22nd in MLB). The offense sputtered (.238 team BA, 18th in runs), and a 9-18 August skid buried wild-card hopes.
“We stumbled, but we never gave up,” Counsell penned, acknowledging the grind. “I saw these guys come out every day, knowing we’d be criticized. I saw fans clapping when we lost.” His candor—no blame on injuries or rookies like Cade Horton—earned quiet respect. On X, #Cubs2025 trended with mixed fury: “Counsell’s magic vanished—fire him!” clashing with “He’s owning it. Give him time.”
The Letter: Humility, Heart, and a Glimmer of Grit
Counsell’s missive, clocking under 500 words, was vintage him: No platitudes, just raw gratitude. “Patience, faith, unconditional love—that’s you,” he wrote, evoking Wrigley’s rainy-night roars and bleacher chants during a 7-3 September skid. He owned the “biggest lesson of my career”—tactical misfires like over-relying on a fatigued bullpen and lineup rigidity amid slumps. “We will be back. Not because we’re better, but because we know better—about ourselves, and about you.”
The response? Over 10K comments in hours: “In Counsell We Trust” became a mantra, with fans sharing stories of 2016’s drought-to-dynasty parallel. “He gets it—Wrigley’s not about wins; it’s about showing up,” one viral reply read, hitting 5K likes. Even Brewers fans chimed in: “Milwaukee misses you, but Chicago needs your fire.”
Counsell, when pressed on the letter’s origin, smiled: “I’m not writing for the press. It’s for the people who still fill the seats, who love this team even when they have the right to walk away.”
Lessons Learned: Tactics, Tenacity, and 2026 Tease
2025’s scars were tactical: A .235 BA with RISP (24th MLB), bullpen overuse (4.12 ERA), and defensive lapses (DRS +12, 15th). Counsell admitted lineup rigidity—“Too stubborn on matchups”—and over-reliance on veterans like Dansby Swanson amid rookie growing pains (Michael Busch’s .220 start). But his faith in the core—Suzuki’s .277/.357/.466, Happ’s 3.2 WAR—shines through. “The spirit’s intact,” he insisted, hinting at offseason aggression: “We’ll add arms, bats—whatever it takes.”
| 2025 Stat | Cubs Rank | Key Issue |
|---|---|---|
| Team BA | 20th (.238) | RISP woes (.235) |
| Bullpen ERA | 22nd (4.12) | Overuse fatigue |
| Runs/Game | 18th (4.27) | Power dip (162 HRs) |
Conclusion
Craig Counsell’s letter isn’t a mea culpa—it’s a manifesto of mutual grit, a bridge from 2025’s stumbles to 2026’s surge. In a city that waited 108 years for glory, his words remind: Patience isn’t passivity; it’s power. Cubs fans, your flags flew through the storm—now, with Counsell charting the course, Wrigley’s ready to roar again. In him, we trust.
