Add To Favorites
Chicago Cubs manager David Ross prefers to handle things internally when a player controversy erupts: ‘You’re always toeing that line’
Chicago Tribune - 5/21/2021
The Chicago Cubs’ stay in St. Louis this weekend will likely be much longer than last year’s visit.
The Cubs flew home to Chicago after one night in 2020, when their series at Busch Stadium was postponed because of a COVID-19 outbreak in the St. Louis Cardinals clubhouse. The two NL Central rivals split their series last season, all 10 of which were played at Wrigley Field.
Friday night’s series opener was their first game at Busch since the final day of the 2019 season, when manager Joe Maddon and former president Theo Epstein announced their conscious uncoupling, sending Maddon on his way and paving the path for Epstein to hire his favorite, David Ross.
Ross guided the Cubs to a division title in the shortened 2020 season, and has the Cubs in contention early this season in spite of a terrible start offensively.
He continued to walk that delicate tightrope on Thursday when he addressed Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa’s criticism of rookie Yermín Mercedes for ignoring a take sign and homering on a 3-0 pitch during the ninth inning of a blowout against the Minnesota Twins, saying he would not have done so himself.
“Look, I don’t ever want to bash another manager,” Ross said. “That’s not my thing. I’m not in charge of other people’s teams, (and) I wouldn’t say anything negative about a Hall of Fame guy. That guy has managed more games than I’ve been a part of in my life.
“I think we all, especially from a manager’s seat, you want to respect the game. You’re always toeing that line of giving your players some leash whether it’s effort or respecting the other team or respecting the game, and you’re trying to toe that line with letting them be themselves and understanding how hard the game is and letting them celebrate.
“I think that’s all individualized as a manager and to your team.”
Ross brought in three position players — including Anthony Rizzo — to pitch in one game against the Atlanta Braves. Rizzo struck out Freddie Freeman in a video that went viral, a moment Ross called “great TV.”
Ross said bringing in position players to pitch simply means, “I’m conceding that the game is over and I’d like to go home as fast as possible and turn the page.”
His mantra on such occasions is: “Everybody swing.” That’s why Ross said he wouldn’t be mad at one of his players for swinging at a 3-0 pitch in that moment. “I’m already mad we’re getting our butt kicked from one side,” Ross said.
Ross admitted that he’s “checked out for even giving signs” a few times in similar games.
“This isn’t a South Side/North Side thing with me,” Ross added, hoping to avoid the inevitable claim he was simply ripping the Sox to ingratiate himself with his fan base.
Ross dealt with his own mini-controversy last month when star shortstop Javier Báez didn’t run hard out of the box in a game against the New York Mets on a ball that fell in in right field, leaving him with a single instead of a possible double.
Ross refused to criticize Báez afterwards and handled the issue internally. Báez said he appreciated having a manager and teammates call him out when necessary.
“No matter who you are, people (here) are going to tell you what it is,” Báez later said. “I was wrong not running on the ball… After the game, Ross came to me and we talked and we’re over it. We turned the page. We learn from it and hopefully it doesn’t happen again and we (move on).”
Ross is a players’ manager, and of course was teammates with several Cubs, including Báez, Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Willson Contreras, Jason Heyward and Kyle Hendricks. He’s more interested in his players policing themselves than showing authority by publicly criticizing a player.
The 76-year-old La Russa is a classic old-school type, and when Sox pitcher Lance Lynn backed Mercedes to the media, La Russa pointed out, “Lance has a locker. I have an office.” That led New York Mets pitcher Marcus Stroman to tweet: “I’m riding with Lance Lynn all day. TLR is stuck in the past. Life is about adapting and moving forward.”
There are two sides to every coin, and two managers in Chicago who do things their own way.
Whether they’re right or wrong is in the eye of the beholder.
©2021 Chicago Tribune. Visit chicagotribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.