Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell has been the team’s skipper for mere hours, but he’s already picked up a nomination for Manager of the Year in the National League.
Kidding aside, Counsell was picked as a finalist based on his work with the NL Central-champion Milwaukee Brewers, who reached the postseason for the fifth time in nine seasons under his counsel.
Miami Marlins manager Skip Schumaker and Atlanta Braves skipper Brian Snitker were the other two finalists for the prize.
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If Counsell wins, he would be one of a select group of managers to win the award after leaving the team he was nominated for leading. Joe Girardi won the 2006 prize as NL Manager of the Year after he was fired by the Marlins.
The Cubs hired Counsell on Monday in a stunning move, firing David Ross from his post in the process.
Counsell signed a five-year deal with the Cubs worth a reported $40 million, the richest deal for a manager in MLB history.
The prize for Manager of the Year will be handed out on Tuesday, Nov. 14, MLB says.
