Theo Epstein May have Created the Next Cubs Manager 11 Years Ago

It is sometimes crazy to see how circular Theo Epstein’s career has been, especially with regard to the Chicago Cubs. Back when he was the general manager of the Boston Red Sox, he had to make a very difficult decision in trading Anthony Rizzo to the San Diego Padres. When he finally decided to pull the trigger, he talked to Rizzo and told him that they will very likely cross paths again over the span of both of their careers.

Fast-forward to 2012, and with Epstein the president of baseball operations for the Cubs, he pulled the trigger on a deal that would bring Rizzo to the team.

In 2008, there was a backup catcher was released from the Cincinnati Reds, and there was a real chance his career was over. He would be signed off the scrap heap by Theo and would become a very rarely used third-string catcher for the Boston Red Sox. After the season was over, Theo approached the 31-year old and told him what the scuttlebutt around the clubhouse was. Apparently, he was a bad teammate.

He then dedicated himself to his craft, with much more vigor and tenacity, and more importantly – accountability.

He participated in all pregame strategy sessions, interacted more with coaches and managers to learn more about the game, situations, and their expectations. He took it upon himself to mentor younger players, teaching them how to succeed in the big leagues.

A huge part of being a mentor for younger players was ensuring that they were held accountable. The big leagues was and is a privilege. Highly touted prospects will be rushed through the minor leagues, and eventually, reach the majors with a silver spoon in their mouth. He made sure to call them out when those guys had mental lapses, showed a lack of patience, or decided that they didn’t need batting or fielding practice on a certain day. He did this because making the Major Leagues was the highest honor any of them could earn, and regardless of their talent level, if they disrespected the game in any way it was a slap in the face to those who grinded it out every day to earn their spot on a roster.

That constant reminder that the gift of playing in the big leagues could be taken away made David Ross respect the game that much more, and it earned praise from those around him.

See, when guys talk about why they love Ross so much, it isn’t because he was joking around with them in the dugout or playing slap ass in the clubhouse. It was because he reminded them daily that their dream can be ripped away from them at any moment. He taught them to respect the gift that they were given. He taught them to respect the game.

Not only did he teach it, he expected it.

So when Jason Heyward paid for Ross’s hotels on the road, it wasn’t because they were good friends from their days in Atlanta… It was because Ross taught him to honor the game and play it the right way. Ross needed to do this as this was his way of staying in the game, and it was out of the respect for the game he became accountable for himself.

You have to hold yourself accountable before you can hold your teammates accountable.”

– David Ross

How does this translate into him being a manager?

Well, not all problems are square holes, and not every circle block can fix them. Meaning, not every mental error or lapse in judgement should be corrected with someone getting in your face and escalating your error. Sometimes allowing the moment to settle and having a conversation pays off more than just having a red ass approach.

For example, early in Willson Contreras’s career, he made a mental error in a critical part of a game. It led to obvious poor results and Contreras was noticeably down on himself. Ross had waited an inning or so, but eventually confronted Contreras on what his mindset was during that situation.

By allowing Willson to explain his thought process, Ross was then able to provide better, constructive criticism, allowing Contreras to think about his choice and potentially how other approaches could have led to better results.

Peeling the onion back a bit more, Ross wouldn’t have ever been able to approach Contreras in that situation if David, himself, wasn’t meticulously studying every tendency in every situation himself. Since Ross was able to demand more from himself and was able to meet his high expectations, he was also able to expect more from others in that clubhouse – even though they were more talented than he was.

While many believed Ross was the “captain” of the team, there was another guy waiting in the wings to be that type of guy. Anthony Rizzo.

Rizzo would lean on Ross, he knew that Ross had been through situations in the game that Anthony had only hoped to reach. From winning divisional titles, to playoff series’, and championships. Rizzo would sit and listen to everything Ross would say, even when he was being critical of Rizzo’s play.

That is why Rizzo became so emotional when he had the pleasure of introducing him at the championship rally in 2016.

So, when you just say Ross is a bad fit because he is too buddy-buddy with this team. Hell yeah, he’s friends with them. But if you think his friendship with the players will stop him from being the best damn manager he possibly could be – you just haven’t paid attention to who David Ross is.

But you know who does know how Ross will do as a manager? Theo Epstein, because his advice 11 years ago started him on his path.

*Some content came from David Ross’s book, Teammate: My Journey in Baseball and a World Series for the Ages. You can pick it up for $6.99 on Amazon right now.