Chicago Cubs: David Ross defends Joe Maddon, is noncommittal on future

Chicago Cubs: ‘The grass isn’t always greener’

Now, obviously Ross has a great degree of loyalty to Maddon. That’s a given. But he’s not alone in praising what the quirky skipper has done for the organization. After all, we’re talking about a guy who notched four 90-plus win campaigns, three straight NLCS appearances, two NL Central titles and a World Series championship in his first five years with the Cubs.

“I go back to people have no idea what Joe Maddon has brought to the team, what he has done, his resume. The grass isn’t always greener. Do I one day have an itch to manage? That has definitely crossed my mind with all the rumors that fly around.”

Ross isn’t alone on the list of prospective candidates that’s been circulating. Maddon’s current bench coach, Mark Loretta, is an obvious candidate, as well – among others. But for whatever reason, Cubs fans absolutely adore Ross.

Honestly, they associate him with winning – and with good reason, the guy has two rings to his credit. But don’t expect Epstein to just hand Ross the keys without a thorough search – not after how this season played out. For his part, though, the former backup catcher knows it would take a special opportunity to bring him back to the game full-time.

“Do I want to put my stamp on a team and the things I believe in? Of course. You see things, even as a casual fan, you start to want to kinda do things your way. It’s all about opportunity. I think when you have to give up and sacrifice family time, its gotta be worth it. I don’t do things halfway, I go all-in, so that’s a huge commitment from me. It’s definitely flattering to hear those rumors.”

Chicago Cubs: If offered the chance, Ross might have to accept

Over and over during the brief interview, Ross stressed how it would essentially take a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to pull him back into the game and away from his family. Rightfully so – he retired out of a desire to spend more time with his children and wife.

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But when you think about it, where else could he go wind up managing that would be even remotely close to as special as Chicago? To return to the place he helped snap a 108-year title drought? That’s about as Hollywood-esque as it gets (except, you know, the whole 2016 World Series story).

“I’ll tell you my heart definitely itches to get in that dugout at times, be apart of something special that I have been apart of before. There is a push-pull for sure and its going to have to be a unique opportunity that is going to pull me away from my family and the sacrifices you make to be in the major leagues.”

The big risk, of course, is what it would mean to Ross’ legacy here in the Windy City should he take the job and fail. I mean, look at how quickly fans have turned on Maddon – the guy who was at the helm of that historic World Series champion club. Many have pointed to when the Detroit Tigers named Alan Trammel manager in 2003 – and the club promptly lost a staggering 119 games.

Granted, that club wasn’t exactly dripping with talent. But it undoubtedly sullied Trammel’s reputation among a generation of fans who never had the chance to see him play during his Hall of Fame career. Now, Ross is no Hall of Famer (sorry, folks) – but he’s universally beloved amongst Chicago Cubs fans – and taking the managerial post definitely puts that at risk.

We’ll know soon enough one way or the other – with just four regular season games left on the schedule for Chicago. Will the Cubs tap a man who knows many of these players and still holds a role with the front office? Will he be lured out of retirement and away from his family? This is just one of many storylines we’ll have to keep a close eye on this offseason.