Brewers fire Ron Roenicke, hire Craig Counsell as replacement

The Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday fired manager Ron Roenicke and plan to replace him with Craig Counsell, according to a report.

The Brewers are 7-18 after winning two in a row to end the weekend against the Chicago Cubs, but GM Doug Melvin said the team’s performance this weekend did not factor into the decision. Instead, he told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Haudricourt that the team’s performance to start the season and poor play at the end of last year factored into his decision.

The Brewers started off 2-13 and lost eight in a row at one point.

Roenicke said he was surprised by the timing of the move.

Melvin met the #Brewers at Miller Park upon arrival from Chicago and met with Roenicke to give him the news. Said timing "shocked" Roenicke.

— Tom (@Haudricourt) May 4, 2015

Ron Roenicke told Melvin: "I wish you would have fired me a week ago." Said the timing was "terrible."

— Tom (@Haudricourt) May 4, 2015

Roenicke also told Melvin he thought the team was turning it around, but the GM apparently had already made up his mind.

FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal says Counsell, a former Brewers player and current team radio broadcaster, will take over.