MILWAUKEE — Immediately following the national anthem, a round of boos rang down from seemingly every corner of American Family Field.

The reaction intensified as the Brewers played a brief “Thank you, Craig Counsell” video on the board, including some of his highlights as a player.

Some Cubs fans tried to counteract the boos with cheers and clapping but they were mostly drowned out.

Counsell laughed it all off.

A couple minutes later as Counsell was officially announced, another round of loud boos shook the Milwaukee stadium.

By contrast, when new Brewers manager Pat Murphy — who has coached and worked alongside Counsell for decades — was announced, the cheers were just as loud as the boos for Counsell.

He was prepared for any reaction from the fans.

“Cheer, boo — whatever, man,” Counsell said before Monday’s game. “Just have a good time at the game. That’s what fans get to do. It’s Memorial Day. They don’t have to go to work today. Let’s all have a good time.”

Monday marks the first time Counsell has been back at American Family Field since the 2023 season ended — before he became a free agent and ended up signing with the Cubs in a move that shocked the baseball world.

As a native Wisconsinite who grew up around the Brewers organization, he understands the area and the people that inhabit it.

“It’s not my job to tell people how to feel about something,” Counsell said. “Or even to like, figure it out. Let people feel how they want to feel and I’m good with that. It doesn’t have to be all positive. We’re in a public job; we’re in a job with fans. Fans are allowed to feel however they want to feel.

“It bothers you initially, of course. Some things that happened bother you for sure. But as it goes on, you’re a fan and you get to feel how you want to feel. You’re entitled to that as a fan. So I’m good with that. And I think that’s part of it and part of what makes sports fun.

“I still live in Wisconsin. I enjoy where I live and that’s all still really good.”

Since he changed sides in the rivalry and took the Cubs job, Counsell has repeatedly deflected focus away from himself. He understands why this is a story, after he spent 18 years with the Brewers.

But right now, Counsell has a one-track mind: Helping his team win games.

“I don’t know if I thought about this, what this moment would look like,” Counsell said. “I think for me, it’s a different view from the dugout. That’s what sticks out to me. … I think this is going to be an interesting day.

“It’s a team in your division. It’s a team that’s playing really well. We are not playing very well right now. And so we’re trying to get things on track. And I think that tends to be where your thoughts go in this job.”

As a huge contingent of media members — both Chicago and Milwaukee alike — surrounded Counsell in the third base dugout at American Family Field, the manager acknowledged that he had thoughts over the last several seasons about wanting a new challenge.

He spent a lot of time with the Brewers as a player, front office executive and as a manager. But he didn’t sit around and spend time thinking he would spend the rest of his life working for the Brewers.

“Life takes different turns, man,” he said. “I don’t want to plan out my life forever. I want to do things that challenge me, that excite me, so I don’t make plans like that.

“You’ve got to take the ride of life and see what happens. This was not something I necessarily expected to happen but you got to jump on the ride and go.”