Chicago Cubs fans love David Ross as Yankees fans curse Aaron Boone

Since the Marquee Network was forced upon Chicago Cubs fans, I’ve found myself watching more games of other teams than at any point in my life. Watching the Yankees-Blue Jays game on Tuesday night, I was struck by the blatant frustration with New York manager Aaron Boone.

The only club below the Yankees in the AL East standings? The Baltimore Orioles, who are widely regarded as the worst team in all of Major League Baseball at 22-43. Suffice to say the Bronx Bombers are not OK being mentioned in the same breath as the O’s – nor should they be – but their play continues to be uninspiring, to say the least.

Where to place the blame? Well, for most Yankees fans, it’s squarely at the feet of manager Aaron Boone, who challenged his team to play better heading into the week when speaking to the media.

"“We’re going to find out what character we’re made of,” Boone told ESPN. “We’re clearly in the midst of incredibly tough times. We’ve faced it throughout this season. And we’re going to find out what we’re made of and if we’re the team we think we are. It gets no easier as we have to go to Buffalo and play an outstanding offensive club in Toronto [on Tuesday]. And we need to step it up. Period.”"

During Tuesday’s game, the YES Network showed Yankees GM Brian Cashman voicing support of his manager. But that won’t last long if the team continues to struggle. As a Cubs fan, I found it particularly interesting for multiple reasons.

Obviously, Boone has a special place in Yankees lore, cementing his place in the hearts of fans forever (at least he’d hoped).

Chicago manager David Ross is among the most beloved former Cubs of all-time. The backup catcher embraced his role as a key veteran on the 2016 World Series team and never looked back. He rode off the field after Game 7 on the shoulders of his teammates, several of whom now play for him as skipper.

After a few years working for ESPN, taking part in Dancing with the Stars and handling some duties in the Cubs front office, Ross wound up succeeding his former manager, Joe Maddon, on the North Side. He impressed in year one, with Chicago jumping out to a 13-3 start before coasting to a division crown in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

Chicago Cubs: David Ross excelling where Aaron Boone is falling flat

This year, he’s masterfully managed one of the best bullpens in all of baseball and his team has gone from sure-fire sellers to likely buyers approaching next month’s trade deadline. This has only further endeared him to fans who now not only appreciate what he did for the club as a player, but, now, also for his work in the dugout.

Meanwhile, Boone’s days sure feel numbered. It goes to show that, no matter what your relationship or history with an organization, once you put on the manager’s hat, the only thing that matters is success. Without it, your political capital will wither away quickly, leaving you in the unenviable position of fielding criticism from the same media and fans that once cheered you on.

Right now, the Cubs are exceeding expectations and the Yankees are falling well short of them. That’s the long and short of it. Let’s just hope that Ross doesn’t end up enduring the same type of animosity from the Wrigley faithful as Boone’s currently receiving in the Big Apple.