Chicago Cubs: Craig Counsell sends a strong message Monday

Cubs players, personnel, and present media witnessed a rare occurrence Monday morning: Craig Counsell at an elevated decibel level. Per ESPN beat Jesse Rogers, Counsell was “raising his voice” during baserunning drills. Rogers adds it was “deserved” based on his observations.

Worth noting the Cubs made some gaffes on the bases in Sunday’s game against the White Sox. Bad baserunning has been a theme all Spring beyond one game and practice. This also includes the infamous triple play the other week. This will need to (and should) be cleaned up before Opening Day.

Counsell bringing some heat to Chicago Cubs

It speaks volumes (pun intended) that, if Counsell giving it to his squad the way he did Monday was as noticeable to someone who covers a team as it was to someone who covers a team. While he will get in the face of an umpire occasionally, he’s not one to yell or get overly animated. His mellowness has drawn criticism at times, and one can argue whether it’s really deserved.

I’m not sure I’ve ever heard Craig Counsell raise his voice but he just gave it to his team during base running drills. (They deserved it)

— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) March 2, 2026

Spring Training results don’t mean much, but getting the fundamentals down does. A veteran pitcher giving up runs while working on his stuff is not a big deal, unlike continuing to make basic fundamental mistakes. Counsell clearly felt he needed to send a message to his players and staff that it has to get cleaned up sooner rather than later.

Not worrying about the situation

While annoying, especially for Counsell, it’s not a time to be overly concerned about the Cubs baserunning.

In 2025 they were the third-best team in baseball in Base Running runs above average per FanGraphs (11.0). Three of their primary position players, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Dansby Swanson, and Nico Hoerner, were in the 95^th percentile or higher in baserunning value last year per Statcast. Other veterans who don’t have the speed or agility to bring plus value on the bases should at least have the baseball I.Q. to avoid frequent misplays.

It’s not to say the Cubs haven’t had a handful of frustrating baserunning gaffes over the years. Sometimes they were on the players and other times on the coaches. Yes, having a handful of elite baserunners can mask some of the team’s bad gaffes on its advanced stat sheets. They still should be expected to be one of the better overall baserunning teams. Hopefully, the message was received.

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