'I'm not in the roof business': Craig Counsell responds to Cubs' criticism of in-game roof closure
Chicago Cubs manager David Ross had pointed comments about the closure of the roof at American Family Field during Tuesday afternoon’s game, and the Milwaukee Brewers responded a day later.
Ross took issue with the roof closing at American Family Field in the eighth inning as the Brewers mounted a comeback in Tuesday’s game, calling the move “horse----" in an expletive-laced rant.
Brewers manager Craig Counsell said Wednesday that the roof closing was simply standard procedure between the umpires and grounds crew with a threat of rain in the area.
“I understand that he did suggest that (it was shadow-related),” Counsell said. “It’s weather-related as far as I know. I don’t think the umpires would allow it to be shadow-related.”
Dark clouds and the threat of rain did gather in the area of the ballpark during parts of Tuesday’s game, in which the Brewers erased a four-run deficit starting in the eighth inning but ultimately lost in 11 innings. The roof decision lies in the Brewers hands up until the game begins, at which point it’s to be made by the umpiring crew.
“The roof, when the game starts, is the umpires and the grounds crew consults and I don’t know what that conversation is that the umpires had with the grounds crew,” Counsell said. “...That’s the point of having a roof, I think, is to prevent it from raining. I know they’re sensitive about an open roof and rain.”
The threat of rain relayed by the grounds crew to the umpires is often enough for the roof to be closed.
“I’m not responsible for whether it was raining or not,” Counsell said “I can’t control whether it was raining or not. I’m not in the roof business. I don’t want to be in the roof business. It’s a bad business to be in. You’re never going to make everyone happy in the roof business.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Brewers respond to Cubs' David Ross' criticism of stadium roof closure
