Leading off for the Arizona Diamondbacks, second baseman, number four, Craig Counsell. A team could not ask for a better lead off hitter, let alone a more selfless Leo. Counsell represents the best of what a baseball player should be. He understands the strategy of the game, demonstrates patience, cultivates his skill, remains attentively alert when on the field and does what the team needs. In today’s high salaried egomaniacal stable of players, Counsell remains one of the most refreshing faces on the field. He is one of a rare breed.
Craig gained baseball immortality in only his third season scoring the winning run of the wildly exciting 1997 World Series. The cleats he wore while in the Marlins uniform now reside in the hallowed halls of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Two years later during the cannibalization of the Marlins, Counsell found himself in Los Angeles. They weren’t entirely wowed (and oh should they regret it now), thus Craig started the 2000 season with Arizona’s AAA affiliate in Tucson. Amazingly, this Leo quietly went about his business demonstrating the modesty of a Mercury-Pluto conjunction in Virgo, neatly trining Saturn in Taurus. The Leo Sun somehow seemed to know that applying humility while utilizing Saturn’s patience and discipline with Virgo’s drive to perfect skill will slowly turn the fates, placing what he carries into the light, or in baseball’s terms the lead-off spot.
Joe Garagiola, Sr., often delightfully commentating on Arizona Diamondback’s games on TV refers to Counsell as “three-two.” How many times in a season does the count go to three balls and two strikes with Counsell at bat? You can be sure, with or without an accounting degree (which Counsell has), that the number runs disproportionately high. The Mercury-Pluto conjunction gives him an acute eye and extraordinary patience underscored by his sense of pitching strategy. Counsell maintains one of the most, how shall it be written: unusual, unorthodox, weird, contorted, yogi envied batting stances in baseball. Proof is in the pudding. Hitting over .300 this season, with a plethora of pitcher draining 3-2 counts, an admirable number of walks, high on base percentage and strong showing in doubles, you can’t argue with success.
Craig sports a Venus to Uranus conjunction in the most agreeable Libra, opposing Chiron in Aries, retrograding. This aspect puts him in the stratosphere of characteristics worthy of emulation. The relational element of Libra blended with the values of Venus and individuality of Uranus make him the ultimate team player. What he does always seems to comply with what is best for the team. Someone he knows, unlike fellow Leo, Barry Bonds, that being a big star damages the ultimate goal: team wins and championship play. That’s why Counsell sports Leo gold in the form of World Series rings with the two teams making World Series waves earlier in their history than any other teams in baseball.
The combination of Mercury-Pluto and Uranus-Venus and to a lesser degree Sun-Neptune conjures up a brilliant situational awareness. In all moments his alertness takes in the play at hand and knows just what to do. Sure, some of it’s learned and a lot is crisp instinct. That’s what he’s situationally better than most players in the game. In fact, he’s probably the smartest ballplayer in the major leagues (Steve Finley of the Angels might have a slight edge in terms base running, but not much).
Mercury and Pluto make a pleasant sextile to Saturn in Scorpio. This pattern provides a resurrection theme. His teammates call him Rudy (of movie fame) after the Notre Dame football player wannabe who wouldn’t give up (he is Notre Dame alumni). He resurrected after the Marlins and Dodgers from the minor leagues to become an enormously valuable asset to the Diamondbacks in the 2001 World Series win. He survived and rose from a trade to Milwaukee where he had a decent year, but did not flourish. The best news true Diamondback fans heard last year in the off season was that the new leadership of the team realized the talent, skill and baseball savvy that is Craig Counsell. Their move to bring the quiet roar of Counsell back to the Arizona desert to make him the lead-off Leo now returns high dividends.
If you don’t believe me, watch a few games. The announcers will go on and on about his merits. Those who know baseball know. Those who are not impressed with drug-induced strength, bombastic egos and players without a knowledge of the game sing Counsell’s praises in unending choruses. As it should be. He is World Series Gold. When he retires, whenever that might be, hopefully some owner (preferably in Arizona) will realize the leadership and management skill of Counsell and make him manager. We have plenty of accountants on the planet. There are few alive with the baseball instincts of Craig Counsell.