Chicago Cubs Manager Speaks Out on Star Pitcher's Dugout Explosion

Craig Counsell talked about the dugout explosion from Chicago Cubs star Justin Steele.

Jun 29, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Justin Steele (35) delivers a pitch in the fourth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. / Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Cubs were able to pull off a much-needed 5-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday. After so much losing of late, the Cubs need to find a way to start a winning streak to get themselves back into contention in the Wild Card race.

Justin Steele, the ace pitcher for Chicago, was instrumental in the win. He pitched a good game, but it was what happened in the dugout that drew the most attention.

In the middle of the game, Steele was seen on camera screaming at his teammates to "wake the f*** up." His message rang true to the team and they were able to wake up enough to get the win.

Here is a clip of the video so that you can see his outburst of emotion for yourself:

"WAKE THE F*** UP! WAKE THE F*** UP!" — Justin Steele pic.twitter.com/rx9tyrrjC9

— Brendan Miller (@brendan_cubs) June 29, 2024

As all Cubs fans know, the team has been looking dead in the water in recent weeks. There have been no signs of energy or passion from anyone on the field.

For weeks, fans have been waiting for someone to do something that fires the team up. Steele seems to have done just that.

Following the game, manager Craig Counsell spoke out about the dugout outburst from Steele.

“Yeah, he said something coming into the dugout, like ‘Let’s go,’ essentially. And it was an emotional inning. We played poorly that inning. We made some mistakes and he’s just voicing his emotion, [from a] place of love. Anytime you say something from a good place, it’s welcome.”

Steele also spoke out about the situation.

“Yeah, I mean, for the most part, I’d just like to keep that between me and the team. Personally, should probably do a little bit better job of controlling my emotions on the field in front of people and stuff, just for kids and families and I got a nephew that watches me pitch, so as far as that stuff goes. But as far as the rest of it goes, we won the game and that, to me, that’s what matters the most.”

Hopefully, this will end up being a turning point in the season for Chicago. There is no question that the team has the talent needed to win.

If they can use this as a motivational win and string some wins together, the outlook for the entire year could change.

With the MLB trade deadline just a month away, the Cubs need to pick it up or players could get traded. Jed Hoyer would prefer to add talent to the team than trade it, but that is entirely up to the players.