Author Topic: Cubs in '20  (Read 49099 times)

brjones

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #420 on: October 23, 2019, 08:43:48 am »
David Kaplan @thekapman
Highly placed source has confirmed to me David Ross is expected to be named Cubs manager this week. His agent has been discussing contractual terms with Theo Epstein. Deal is almost done. More on @ESPN1000 at 9 am. On @NBCSChicago + http://NBCsportschicago.com throughout the day.

Deeg

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #421 on: October 23, 2019, 08:45:41 am »
I hope this isn't a terrible mistake.

CUBluejays

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #422 on: October 23, 2019, 08:46:17 am »
Ross is so underrated on this board. He isn’t the character Grampa Rossy.

craig

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #423 on: October 23, 2019, 08:53:13 am »
Agree, Blue, he's got a lot of qualities that might make him an outstanding manager.  I think he's an excellent candidate and I look forward to seeing how it goes. 

But not sure that's going to help Heyward or Almora to hit well, or Lester or Kimbrel to pitch well, or Bote and Scharber and Happ to field well, or any of that stuff. 

And who knows how any new guy will handle the bullpen! 

JR

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #424 on: October 23, 2019, 08:55:23 am »
I imagine Ross will be as good as a lot of these recent former players who became managers quickly after retiring.  Can't possibly see how he'd be a worse guy than Matheny, who had success pretty quickly, for example.

Hope he turns out to be the right call!
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craig

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #425 on: October 23, 2019, 08:55:46 am »
Didn't they tell us that it was Ross who was a key player in the Kimbrel pickup?  That Ross scouted him and said he looked in great shape, as good as ever, ready to rock and roll?

Deeg

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #426 on: October 23, 2019, 09:26:29 am »
My worry with Ross (above and beyond his ability to be a manager to his pals and the fact that this seems like a desperation ploy to recapture a lost moment in time) is whether he’s actually all that knowledgeable a baseball guy.  One doesn’t get much of a sense that he is from his TV work (not that it would be a definitive indication).  The hipster view is to disparage the actual game management part of being a manager, but it still matters a whole lot.

Ross seems to have the soft skills part, but what about the analytical and strategic part?  Is he all intuitive/feel or is he hiding that side of himself so far?  Obviously the guy was a catcher for over a decade and he knows baseball in the broad sense, but it would be nice to have a manager who really understands the strategic side of the game and has an appreciation for advanced statistics (without a slavish dependence on them).  Maybe Ross does - I hope so.  I just don’t see much indication of it so far.

brjones

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #427 on: October 23, 2019, 09:29:57 am »
David Kaplan @thekapman
Here's another Cubs scoop. Cubs/MLB will be dealing with Kris Bryant's grievance this week from 2015 over service time + Cubs decision to delay his MLB debut until he fell 1 day short of being a free agent after the 2020 season. Could have MLB altering implications if he wins.

Ron

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #428 on: October 23, 2019, 09:52:07 am »
I admit that I have found myself hoping for Joe Espada to get the job. He seems to have been a really impressive candidate. I am actually a little surprised that he did not get the job.

I seem to trust Theo more than some others here, both in general and specifically in terms of his statements that Ross' role in 2016 and his relationship with players would, if anything, be a negative consideration because of the need to move on from the past.  I have to believe that Ross was convincing enough in his interviews (and his work with the Cubs over the last few years) that Theo became convinced that he was an even better match for this group than Espada.

None of us know whether or how much interaction Ross may have had over the last couple of years with the analytics guys, including the pitch lab.  It assume that Theo has reason to believe that he will work well with those guys and in implementing their work. I don't believe Ross would have gotten the job if Theo had not been convinced of his ability to merge the R&D and analytics work into the game planning and implementation.

In terms of his game management and specifically use of the bullpen, I recall that he expressed surprise at Joe's decisions during game 7 in 2016, but brushed off his disagreement by saying that the end result was what mattered. I remember finding that interesting at the time. Anybody else remember this?

CUBluejays

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #429 on: October 23, 2019, 10:10:28 am »
But not sure that's going to help Heyward or Almora to hit well, or Lester or Kimbrel to pitch well, or Bote and Scharber and Happ to field well, or any of that stuff. 

And who knows how any new guy will handle the bullpen! 

The first sentence isn't the managers job.  That will be the revamped hitching and pitching as well as Butterfield's replacement.

He'll have an iPad full of data on who to pitch against which hitter.  Hopefully he'll use it and the bullpen guy won't hang a slider like Ottovino.

CUBluejays

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #430 on: October 23, 2019, 10:16:41 am »
I admit that I have found myself hoping for Joe Espada to get the job. He seems to have been a really impressive candidate. I am actually a little surprised that he did not get the job.

I seem to trust Theo more than some others here, both in general and specifically in terms of his statements that Ross' role in 2016 and his relationship with players would, if anything, be a negative consideration because of the need to move on from the past.  I have to believe that Ross was convincing enough in his interviews (and his work with the Cubs over the last few years) that Theo became convinced that he was an even better match for this group than Espada.

None of us know whether or how much interaction Ross may have had over the last couple of years with the analytics guys, including the pitch lab.  It assume that Theo has reason to believe that he will work well with those guys and in implementing their work. I don't believe Ross would have gotten the job if Theo had not been convinced of his ability to merge the R&D and analytics work into the game planning and implementation.

In terms of his game management and specifically use of the bullpen, I recall that he expressed surprise at Joe's decisions during game 7 in 2016, but brushed off his disagreement by saying that the end result was what mattered. I remember finding that interesting at the time. Anybody else remember this?

I like both Espada and Ross and think they'll both would have been fine.

While as fans we don't know how Ross interacts with the analytics guys and stats, Theo and Jed do.  Since this off season focus is getting the Cubs caught up, I really doubt Theo is going to hire somebody that can't handle that part of the job.  Are we really at the point where we think Theo is dumb?

There are only 10 guys left on the Cubs from 2016 and that number could be smaller with trades.  This isn't the same team that Ross retired from.
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JR

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #431 on: October 23, 2019, 10:45:32 am »
David Kaplan @thekapman
Here's another Cubs scoop. Cubs/MLB will be dealing with Kris Bryant's grievance this week from 2015 over service time + Cubs decision to delay his MLB debut until he fell 1 day short of being a free agent after the 2020 season. Could have MLB altering implications if he wins.


He still needed to work on his base running, gosh darn it!

guest61

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #432 on: October 23, 2019, 11:07:00 am »
Sources confirm: David Ross is new #Cubs manager. First reported: @thekapman and @ESPNChiCubs.--Rosenthal

CurtOne

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #433 on: October 23, 2019, 12:35:55 pm »
I already feel bad about firing him.  Tough to do to a hero.

guest61

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Re: Cubs in '20
« Reply #434 on: October 23, 2019, 12:44:54 pm »
He wasnt much of a hero really.
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