I will never forget the day the Chicago Cubs won the world series. I remember speeding home from work and making it just in time to watch the final three outs of the tenth inning and feeling so relieved that after 108 long years, the Cubs were once again World Champions.
I am grateful for the years we spent with Joe Maddon and I thought he was a great leader and mentor for what was a young team, but it was time to move on. After a lack luster few seasons post world series win, the players, owners, and fans were left wanting more.
When the news officially broke that Maddon and the Cubs agreed to part ways, I instantly took to the internet to read the thoughts and opinions of baseball fans everywhere. I came across this article from the New York Times, and I believe it sums up the situation well. Eventually reading articles became redundant as most of them say the same thing, just worded differently.
Cubs fans everywhere thanked Joe Maddon for bringing the Cubs and their fans the long awaited title win. This picture below was taken from the Cubs official Instagram page.
The media coverage was not lacking around the Cubs at the time of change. Everyday was filled with new rumors over who would become the new man in charge. From social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, to news outlets such as ESPN and NBC, everyone was a buzz with baseball. It was covered on Sports Center almost every day, as the reporters would continually update as new information got out to the public.
I remember when David Ross’ name started to be thrown around and at first, I was against the idea of a former player, having just retired a couple of years ago, coaching the same guys he played with. I follow many cubs accounts on Twitter, so that is primarily where I go to see what is going on in the world of baseball and is where I first saw the rumors of Ross becoming manager. From there I began seeing the news on Instagram, in Facebook comments, and articles from the Chicago Tribune and NBC.
When the rumors turned out to be true, that is when media started to flourish even more. I personally have never seen so many “armchair managers” come out of the woodwork until then. An armchair manager is a fan who thinks that they could coach a baseball team better than the actual manager (we all know a few people like this) and can usually be found sitting in a chair yelling at the TV when the game is on. Fans were concerned over Ross’ personal relationships with the players and how that would affect his coaching style.
In the end it came down to Joe Espada from the Houston Astros and David Ross. From what was covered by baseball experts and journalists in the field, it sounded like it was a tight race between the two, until they help a mock press conference where it was said the Ross dominated. From there it seemed like we got our answer, and a few days later it was officially announced that David Ross would become the Chicago Cubs 61st manager. The Cubs capped off their search with posting photos across all media sites and welcoming the friendly face back to the friendly confines of Wrigley Field.
Overall media coverage for this event was what I had anticipated. It was covered equally across social and news media, and gained a decent amount of publicity. Fans were more opinionated than usual, but I think that is only natural when your new manager was once a player you cheered for just a few years back. As a fan, I am hopeful. This press conference was what sealed the deal for me. I think Ross addressed the issues that fans had in a professional way, and he makes it clear that he is here for one thing, and that is to win.
