MILWAUKEE -- Welcome to the new normal for Craig Counsell and the Milwaukee Brewers.
In many ways, the first day of Summer Camp at Miller Park had the feel of a first full-squad workout in Spring Training. But all along the way Saturday were reminders of the pandemic that altered the course of this season, starting with the fact that coaches, staffers and a player or two were wearing facial coverings on the field.
There were two wholly separate workouts, since the Brewers are staging the work typically sprawled across eight fields in Phoenix to one field plus two bullpen mounds in Milwaukee. Counsell’s usual address took place not in the clubhouse, but with players spread out in the stands, part of the “outside is better than inside” mantra that will guide activities over the next three weeks. The wide field level concourse typically packed with fans at this time of year has been transformed into an open-air commissary.
“I don't think I can properly articulate how much work has gone into this,” said Ryan Braun, by far the Brewers’ longest-tenured player. “Obviously, it's unlike anything any of us have experienced before. The entire Brewers organization has gone above and beyond anything any of us could have expected to accommodate everyone and everything.
“There are some guys in the home locker room, there are some guys in the visiting locker room. They've emptied [clubhouse manager Tony Migliaccio’s] office to create additional locker space. They've moved some of the gym equipment out into the hallway. The kitchen is now in the concourse. Everything is drastically different just to abide by the protocols that have been put in place and to try to help keep all of us as safe as possible. You'd have to see it for yourself to truly appreciate it.”
The changes go beyond the layout of the ballpark. Players probably have MLB’s 113-page health and safety protocols memorized by now, and Counsell once again on Saturday stressed that poor decisions by one individual can have devastating implications for the whole group. But Counsell, who has built his managerial philosophy around the concept of connectedness, is confident everyone will make it work.
“I think in a lot of ways, we’re probably more connected than ever before because we’re so reliant on each other for decisions we make both at the field and [away from] the field,” Counsell said. “You’re more connected to your teammates at this time. There are some things that are going to be different about it, and I think we have to do our best to get players into new routines in the new world, in the new workspace we’re in. We’ll do that. Players are ready for that. They understand completely and are really on board.”
Even the older guys are learning new tricks.
“Lorenzo Cain said, ‘My day was different today. You guys moved me around the park in different ways, but I got my work done, and I actually got it done faster than I would usually get it done, and I’m out of here,’” Counsell said, relaying a conversation from an informal workout this week. “He understood it. I thought it was just great. That’s the attitude we’re all going to have to have.”
Saturday also offered reminders of the challenges ahead. Even though the Brewers were one of the 11 teams with no positives for COVID-19 during intake testing this week, not all of the 45 players were allowed to take part in Saturday’s workouts, according to Counsell.
“I’ll say it this way: We’ve had COVID positives in recent weeks with players in the organization, but we did not have any at intake,” Counsell said. “And we will not be at full strength today.”
Per MLB’s protocols, individuals who test positive must isolate until they have two negative tests. The league on Friday reported 38 positives in intake testing, which is 1.2 percent of the 3,185 total samples. Thirty-one were players and seven were staff members.
“The numbers are good,” Counsell said. “There’s a little bit of, you have to do your part. … I really feel we’re on a great start to being unified and on the same page and understanding we’re in this together.”
Here’s what the next couple of weeks will look like: The Brewers have 23 pitchers in this camp, and five to six will throw off the mound each day, beginning with live batting practice sessions Saturday of up to 60 pitches -- a sign that players reported for the restart ready to go. After four days of live BP, the Brewers will stage “situational scrimmages” of four to five innings apiece before graduating to four- to six-inning intrasquad games. Later in camp, the Brewers also expect to play one or two exhibition games against another team or teams, although plans are in the early stages, Counsell said. Each team may play up to three such games, per MLB protocols.
“Part of this process is their bodies are going to hurt for a couple of days at the start here,” Counsell said. “And being aware of that is really at the forefront of our minds kind of in planning these workouts.”
Braun & Co. hit the ground running on Saturday. He was part of the first of two workouts and took swings alongside the likes of Cain, Eric Sogard, Brock Holt and Logan Morrison. Braun didn’t have to wait long to see some heat; the first two pitchers he faced in live BP were presumptive Opening Day starter Brandon Woodruff and two-time National League Reliever of the Year Josh Hader.
“You want to face the best guys as soon as possible in a situation where Spring Training is significantly expedited,” Braun said. “I think if you have the luxury of six weeks to really pace yourself, it’s drastically different than when you have 19 or 20 days like we currently have. But the sooner you start to see quality live pitching, the faster you can start to find your timing and rhythm and pick up on release points and start to recognize spin and offspeed pitches and all of those types of things.
“It looked like both those guys were throwing 100 [mph]. Probably because they were.”