The news broke Wednesday that the Chicago Cubs hired David Ross as their new manager. Ross played with the Cubs from from 2015-2016. Whereas it may have only been for one season, it was the most memorable season as the Cubs won their first World Series in 108 years.
In January 2017, Ross was named a special assistant to baseball operations for Cubs for the 2017 season. In October 2019, he was named the new manager for the Cubs.
Now, why are am I talking about Chicago on a New York Mets blog? Because I like what they did. A lot.
No, Ross was not a homegrown player. Yes, he was only on the Cubs for one season. But that season was a remarkable one, giving him his second World Series ring. That season also gave him the experience in mentoring younger players while helping to lead them to a championship. Doesn’t that sound like something a manager should do?
Yes. Especially on a team with a fantastic young core.
Do not get me wrong — there are always benefits to hiring a manager with experience managing other ball clubs. I know what name you are probably thinking right now — Joe Girardi. He was a contender for the Mets gig and I did think he was a great choice before going to the Phillies. But he is also a prime example of a former player going on to coach the team they once played for.
Girardi was with the Yankees for nine seasons as manager. During that time, he brought them to three division titles and a World Series win. He did a bring fair amount of winning to his former team, to say the least.
There are respective perks to having a former player become his team’s new manager. They have a level of commitment to the team already that is likely unmatched. They are already devoted to the organization and its fans. They likely already know the players and may have even played with them. They have already led the team as a veteran.
They know how to get through to young players — not only have they done it before (maybe even to the same players they are now coaching), but they themselves were once young players and know exactly how it feels. They know how challenging it can be to thrive in that particular market. They already have experience with the front office. They know how the game is played — figuratively and literally.
Also, not that I am a young rookie who can attest to this, but I am pretty sure there is some sense of unmatched camaraderie when your manager also once played for the team that you are currently on.
Sure, some of the above-mentioned things are ones that can be learned with experience. But some of them can’t be. There is a level of personal affection for the team that cannot be matched. They wanted the team to win when they were on it, they (hopefully) wanted the team to win once they stopped playing baseball, and as manager they of course will want the team to win as well. It is not only giving it 100% professionally, but it is giving it 100% personally as well. It’s just something that can’t be learned — it’s already there.
Whereas I think David Wright would be a phenomenal Mets manager, he has already made it known that would never be of interest to him. But one of his teammates is currently in the running — Carlos Beltran.
I do think Beltran is an excellent choice to lead this team. No, he does not have the manager experience that others in the running have, but he was with the Mets for seven seasons — he played more games as a Met than for any other team, Kansas City included (he only played in 795 games for them, compared to 839 with the Mets). He knows the ins and outs of the organization. Plus, in the case of Beltran, he could be hungry for a championship with the team he played for the most — at least I would be.
