Chicago Cubs: Why David Ross is the right choice as manager

Before you make your judgments of the Chicago Cubs signing David Ross, former catcher, as their next manager, let’s take a look at what benefits he may bring to the team.

Losing Joe Maddon as the Chicago Cubs‘ manager after one season missing the playoffs was a tough thing to see. A lot of the players looked to Maddon as a father figure, which could be something that demoralizes a team. David Ross is friends with almost everyone on the Cubs’ team that has been there since 2016. This might be Maddon’s team but Ross brings a lot more to the table than it seems.

I’ll play devil’s advocate for every positive thing I bring up. Ross is close with Jon Lester, which makes you believe he will be the number one pitcher in the rotation. That’s not a problem with anyone, the only thing is, his age could be a factor Kyle Hendricks is the future of the Cubs’ pitching staff, he really should be the number one ace. It’s not a big deal right now, they’ll both get their starts.

Ross and Kris Bryant built a strong relationship in their short time together. The rumors of Bryant wanting out of Chicago is a stressful thing to hear after a long-and-rough season. Bryant was drafted early by the Chicago Cubs back in 2013. He made his MLB debut in 2015, winning many awards since. First baseman Anthony Rizzo and third baseman Bryant have built a strong bromance throughout the last four seasons. Losing “Bryzzo” could demoralize a team that right now is vulnerable.

With Ross being the manager, he likely could talk Bryant into signing a deal to stay as the Cubs’ third baseman for the foreseeable future. The Cubs still have a championship window that is open. Ross could bring a younger-fresh vibe to the Cubs’ locker room, just how Matt Nagy did for the Chicago Bears, or Jeremy Colliton did for the Chicago Blackhawks. Ross could help build skills with the younger guys, not only Bryant but Javy Baez and other veterans like Jason Heyward.

There are a lot of benefits having Ross as their manager. Here are the downsides. He was buddies with all of the players that have been a Cubs since 2016. The question is, how will they out of nowhere look up to him as an authority figure? Will is be Manager Ross or just David? Will they keep calling him Grandpa Ross or is it Ross the Boss?

It’s human nature to be skeptical about these things. Could you imagine someone you worked with, that you consider a close friend becoming your new boss? Would you stop calling them by a nickname you had for them?

The players that are younger and haven’t played with Ross won’t have this problem. The younger coaches are the hot commodity in sports right now. Ross is a former Cub who knows the locker room and the culture. It’s only a matter of time before we find out if he can get the best out of his players.