ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO/WQRF) — The Cubs are making a switch in managers claiming the skipper from one of their top rivals.
The Athletic, ESPN and other media outlets are reporting that the Cubs are hiring former Brewers’ manager Craid Counsell, and they are firing David Ross. Ross has one-year left on his contract.
Counsell is one of the most highly regarded managers in MLB. His is the winningest manager in Brewers’ history with 707 wins. He won three division championships with the Brewers, and he had them in the playoffs five of the last six seasons despite the Brewers having a low payroll.
The downside to that is the Brewers have failed miserably in the playoffs.
Counsell’s contract with the Brewers expired at the end of this past season bascially making him a free agent. The Mets and Guardians interviewed him for their managerial openings.
Ross was popular as a player for the Cubs in 2015 and 2016. He hit a home run in game 7 of the 2016 World Series at age 39 becoming the oldest player in World Series history to hit a home run.
He spent the past four seasons as the Cubs’ manager. Things started off well in 2020 when the Cubs won the NL Central, but the following three years they finished fourth, third and second in the division. The Cubs’ record under Ross was 262-284 for a .480 win percentage.
Ross and the Cubs looked like a lock to make the players this past season in early September, but they collapsed badly down the stretch and missed out on the postseason.
