The Chicago Cubs shocked the MLB world on Monday, hiring Craig Counsell to a record-breaking $40 million contract. To pave the way for Counsell, David Ross was fired after four years in the Chicago dugout.
There was no indication that Ross' job was in jeopardy beforehand, but a difficult end to the season and Counsell's unexpected availability ultimately led the Cubs in a different direction. Ross, who made his coaching debut with the Cubs after a successful playing career at catcher, finishes his Chicago stint with a record of 262-284. The Cubs finished last season 83-79, one game behind the Arizona Diamondbacks and Miami Marlins in the National League Wild Card race.
Ross was reportedly blindsided by the news in a tense meeting with Cubs president Jed Hoyer. Counsell is widely considered one of the best in the business. He spent nine years in charge of the Milwaukee Brewers with a career record of 707-625. Still, to axe Ross so suddenly is not standard practice. There is definitely an element of disrespect at play.
Now, Ross has broken his silence on the issue in a conversation with the Tallahassee Democrat. He kept his comments polite, and mostly wanted to highlight his overarching gratitude toward the Cubs organization.
"I think the thing that comes over me is that I am extremely thankful for the opportunity, to be honest. There was a lot of people who worked really hard alongside me. ... I am really thankful for the four years I got, coming from zero coaching experience to getting the chance to manage such a great organization that has impacted my life in a great way. There's great people there. I really don't have a whole lot negative to say, to be honest. ... I get mad from time to time but I have a lot to be thankful for."
Credit to Ross for acting graciously here. He could easily take a more combative stance and still maintain public support, but more often than not, the high road is the right road. Especially if Ross wants to get another managerial job in the future. One has to imagine teams will quickly gravitate toward the possibility of signing Ross, who was well-respected in Chicago (except by Willson Contreras).
There are, however, mixed feelings buried just below the surface.
"If my boss doesn't think I am a good manager, then he should move on. I don't fault him for that. If he doesn't think I am the right guy, that's his job. That's his choice. I have my own thoughts and opinions that I will keep to myself."
It doesn't take a Ph.D. in the English language to read between the lines here. Ross is keeping his own thoughts and opinions to himself, which would only be necessary if he disagrees with Chicago's decision on some level.
David Ross keeps comments about firing respectful despite obvious frustration with Cubs
This is obviously a unique set of circumstances. Even Ross would probably admit that Counsell's résumé is beyond reproach. Counsell wasn't initially thought to be an option for Chicago, but the Cubs leaped quickly at the opportunity when it arose. The Cubs and Counsell agreed to terms within days of their first meeting, which means there wasn't much time to notify Ross.
Also, there is the unavoidable gamesmanship angle. The Cubs wanted to keep the Counsell move on the down low, which means not leaking the decision to Ross or members of the press until it was essentially finalized. There's a reason the Counsell move came from out of nowhere — because that's probably how the Cubs wanted it.
When speaking with reporters, Jed Hoyer spoke highly of Ross but said Counsell is simply too good to pass up.
"This is no knock on Rossy, who I think incredibly highly of, but Craig is at the very top of the game. It's hard to rank managers but he's at the very top of the game."
Fair enough. Baseball is a business. But, at the end of the day, it reflects poorly on Chicago for Ross to be completely unaware of the move. Especially if the team held him in such high regard. Ross was suddenly and unexpectedly uprooted from a job and a community. Now, he will spend his winter looking for new employment.
