By Jordan Long
The Chicago Cubs looked like a playoff team going into September with a 71-62 mark. They were the 2nd Wild Card team in the National League. They stumbled in September with a record of 12-17 costing them a playoff spot. The Cubs finished with an 83-79 record. It looked like Manager David Ross would keep his job. The Cubs had a change of heart.
Ross was hired by the Cubs on October 23, 2019. He didn’t have any managerial experience but was a familiar face with the franchise. Ross spent 2015 and 2016 as a catcher for the Cubs. That was good enough for him to land the job.
2020 was the COVID-19 shortened year. The Cubs earned a playoff spot that year with a 34-26 mark but were swept in the Wild Card Series by the Miami Marlins. It was the only time they would go to the playoffs with Ross as Manager. Overall, the Cubs were a disappointing 262-284 or a winning percentage of .480 in the 4 years Ross was the Manager.
When the last out was recorded on October 1st, it seemed like Ross was going to stay. His contract had one more year plus a club option for 2025. According to nbcsportschicago.com, Cub’s President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer, said on October 3rd, “I want us to continue to build on the momentum we had this year. We made huge strides forward as an organization. We established a real core through free agency and guys coming through the system. We have real organizational momentum. It’s important to build on that, and Rossy is a big part of that. He’s not a new manager. He’s going into his fifth season. He’s really matured and developed.”
Well, Hoyer’s changed his mind hiring Craig Counsell and firing Ross. Counsell agreed to a massive five-year contract worth more than $40 million.
Counsell brings 1,332 games of MLB managerial experience, all with the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers were a winning ball club under Counsell with a record of 707-625, a winning percentage of .531. The Brewers earned a playoff spot 5 times including this year. The furthest the Brewers went was in 2018 when they advanced to the National League Championship Series but their playoff run ended in disappointment. The Brewers forced a winner take all game 7 but were ousted by the Dodgers 5-1.
It was a surprise Counsell was available. The Brewers did not sign him to a contract extension letting his contract run out. The Cubs were lucky Counsell was available. He was the best manager out there. The Cubs are anticipating better results with Counsell than they had with Ross. Of course, the Cubs would love nothing more than to win a World Series with Counsell as their Manager. Counsell will be introduced as the Cubs’ Manager next week.
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