Craig Counsell is the highest-profile former Milwaukee Brewers player managing in the big leagues, but he’s far from the only ex-Brewer on coaching staffs.
When the Chicago White Sox arrive in Milwaukee for the start of a three-game series Friday, they’ll have some familiar faces on the coaching staff, including former Brewers reliever Matt Wise as the assistant pitching coach and first-base coach Jason Bourgeois.
A tour through Major League Baseball coaching staffs reveals a number of former players who fans may not realize are still in the big leagues, at least in this capacity.
Bell finished his playing career in 2006 with the Brewers.
He became a Double-A manager with the Reds in 2008 and worked his way up, taking a job with the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals big-league teams before becoming Reds manager in 2019.
The first-year manager joined Milwaukee in 2017 and was part of the clubhouse in 2018, though injured, when the Brewers went to the National League Championship Series.
The 39-year-old played his final season in 2022.
Kotsay played only one season with Milwaukee but it was with a good team, the 2011 National League Central champ.
He batted .270 with three homers that season.
He’s been a coach at the big-league level since 2015 and manager of the A’s since 2022.
