it is pretty telling that both Stearns and Counsell have decided to leave in successive years. I think they both felt as though they did about as much as they could in Milwaukee, given the obvious market and budget discrepancies between teams.
As a Brewer fan, I think that's what makes this hurt more. All my life, I've grown accustom to the Brewers eventually firing managers and GMs. But by all accounts, both Steans and Counsell were valued here and ownership wanted them to stay. They chose to go on their own. That says more about the situation than anything, IMO.