(Reuters) - The Milwaukee Brewers named Craig Counsell as their new manager on Monday and despite never before managing a single inning, the former major leaguer and his boss were confident he was ready for the job.
Counsell, who has been working as a special assistant to general manager Doug Melvin, takes over from Ron Roenicke, who was fired on Sunday after posting the National League's worst start at 7-18 this season.
"He's played 1,600 games as a player. I told him he was on the bench for about 800 games that he didn't play, and during those games, I know that he was managing in his mind," general manager Doug Melvin said.
"That experience -- the winning experience, the World Series rings, what he's done in the front office working with me over the last three years - is going to be a very big help to him on the field."
Counsell, 44, played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball as a versatile infielder with Colorado, Florida, Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona and Milwaukee, and on winning World Series teams with Florida (1997) and Arizona (2001).
When he addressed the players on Monday afternoon, Counsell was talking to eight former teammates.
"They know where I sit on lots of things, so to me, it's a positive," Counsell said.
"I've said this for years ... we all want to be led. To some extent, we all want to be told what to do," he said. "We have to sacrifice a little bit of ourselves, give a little bit of ourselves, to take the team in the right direction."
Counsell was raised just north of Milwaukee and his father worked in the Brewers' front office in community relations.
"I've watched Brewer games for 35 years. I'm a Milwaukee Brewer. I've always felt that way," Counsell said.
Counsell said he felt right at home in his new job.
"It's a place where I feel like I've prepared myself to be. Surreal was playing. This is probably more where I thought I would end up, in a position of leadership like this.
"It's an honor and it's humbling, but I feel like this is what I was meant to do. I think I'll be better at this than I was at playing."
Roenicke, hired before the 2011 season, compiled a record of 342-331 with Milwaukee.