Chicago Cubs: No learning curve for David Ross
The Chicago Cubs’ new manager will have to adjust quickly.
After months of handwringing and brutal negotiations, it appears the Chicago Cubs will be playing baseball again this summer. While many fans have reached their limit, and quite frankly are fed up with how the negotiation process has unfolded in the media, it will nevertheless be a welcome sight for most who have been dying to see baseball played at Wrigley Field.
One such person who is probably a little more excited than most is new Cubs skipper David Ross, who embarks on his first stint as a manager, which just happens to be with the club with which he won a World Series.
However, that excitement might quickly turn to panic as the reality sets in that there is little to no margin for error this season. That’s because Rob Manfred, the commissioner, plans to impose a 60 game season with no expanded playoffs.
Remember, it was just one season ago when the Washington Nationals won the World Series despite starting the season 19-31. When the team woke up on May 24th, they stood 12 games under .500 and it seemed like the playoffs were already out of reach.
But with 112 games remaining, the Nationals, as it turned out, had more than enough time to turn their season around. Teams playing in 2020 will not have that luxury. If you are a team who historically gets off to a slow start, before hitting your stride heading into the All-Star break, that better change. Teams will not be able to absorb any kind of prolonged slump or losing streak in a 60-game season. Every game will matter — significantly.
The other item that Ross may have to face is the possibility that one or more of his players choose to sit out the season. So far there have only been rumblings of players choosing not to play — perhaps as a sign of protest — but those rumblings could grow louder.
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The giant takeaway here is that David Ross must ensure his team is ready to roll on opening day. That’s a tall order for a new manager, who has to navigate a shortened Spring Training, and a number of other logistical issues just to get his team on the field. Is he up to the task? We shall see soon enough.