The Chicago Cubs have named David Ross as their manager. This will be Ross’s first managerial position as he has worked for ESPN the last three seasons since his retirement. He was also a special assistant for baseball operations with the Cubs in 2017.
Ross takes over for Joe Maddon, who was relieved of his duties with the Cubs on September 29. It would not take Maddon long to be out of a job as he was named the manager of the Los Angeles Angels on October 16.
Ross was a Major League Baseball catcher for 15 years from 2002-2016. He played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs. Usually a backup catcher, Ross’s finest season came in 2006 with the Reds when he had career highs in home runs (21) and runs batted in (52).
Ross is also known for being the oldest player in Major League Baseball history to hit a World Series home run. He accomplished the feat at age 39 during game seven of the Cubs’ memorable championship run.
On the surface Ross seems as very likable, easy going and is not fazed by extreme pressure. He also has fan appeal due to the fact he was a participant on Dancing With the Stars. In his new role he will be on the hotseat, constantly second guessed and criticized by the Cubs faithful spectators.
The reason why Maddon was let go for the Cubs is that he has not met expectations as the Chicago manager in each of the last two seasons. In 2018, the Cubs failed to win the National League Central, as they were beaten by the Milwaukee Brewers and then lost 1-0 to the Colorado Rockies in the wildcard game. Then in 2019, the Cubs missed the playoffs completely as they finished behind the Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central. Getting to the postseason appears to be requirement no. 1 for Ross in 2020.
