It's been two years since former MLB player David Ross was in the dugout managing a team. That year, his former team, the Chicago Cubs, decided to fire him.
However, that doesn't mean that he is done for good. On Wednesday, Ross made it clear that he is on the search for another shot at managing, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
“There are tons of great opportunities” he said.
Altogether, Ross intends to pick up where he left off and is looking to other former players-turned-managers as templates of success. Specifically, he mentioned Yankees manager Aaron Boone and Red Sox manager Alex Cora.
“Here’s the way I look at it. Obviously, you want to win. But there’s something rewarding about building,” Ross said. “You go through some tough times. But that’s part of it. Even when you have a winning team . . . Aaron Boone doesn’t have an easy job. Alex Cora doesn’t have an easy job.
Interestingly enough, Ross found out the Cubs were firing him as he was hopping on a Zoom call to hire a catching coordinator. Ultimately, it was Cubs GM Jed Hoyer who waited to tell Ross the news outside his front door.
That, in turn, paved the way for the hiring of current manager Craig Counsell.
The managerial record of David Ross
Overall, Ross compiled a record of 262-284 and a winning percentage of .480. In his final season with the Cubs, they finished the year at 83-79. During the month of June, they had fallen 10 games below .500 and had to scratch and claw their way back.
Looking back, Ross said he was still in the same mindset as he was during his playing days.
“I still had a players’ mentality,” he said. Plus, he didn't have the temperament to argue with umpires.
“I don’t want to yell and scream at umpires all the time” Ross said.
Furthermore, Ross says he wished he had communicated more with the front office.
“I feel like I invested heavily in the players. It was my first time running a coaching staff, managing other grown men. It was a learning curve for me,” Ross said. “I probably should have invested in the relationship with Jed, Carter and those guys more than I probably did.”
During the offseason, Atlanta, Texas, Minnesota, San Francisco, and Los Angeles Angels have openings. Plus, Baltimore, Washington, Colorado could become available. Then, the Houston Astros might have an opening as well.
