The Pittsburgh Pirates recently beat the Chicago Cubs in a best-of-three series. On Thursday night, the Cubs lost 8-6 in a must-win game as they are currently in a playoff chase.
David Ross, a former Chicago Cubs player before becoming manager, had this to say after the game: "That's not a good team that just took 2 out of 3 from us. Or not our caliber of team, I believe. We have to turn it around. It's on me. It's on the guys in the room."
This is a completely inappropriate thing for the manager to say and a completely spoiled take. Just because they buy playoff opportunities doesn't make them better than every other team.
Pirates reporter blasts David Ross for disrespect
Long-time Pittsburgh Pirates' reporter Dejan Kovacevic had this to say on Twitter: "The Pirates aren't good. He's right. But neither are the Cubs. And neither is Ross. Unduly cocky as a player when I covered him in Pittsburgh, unbelievably clueless and classless as a manager."
Kovacevic said it perfectly: the Pirates aren't a playoff team, but neither are the Chicago Cubs.
"Third-stringer when in Pittsburgh. Acted like he owned the place. Obnoxious," Kovacevic also wrote.
David Ross previously played for the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs, so he understands the rivalry between the division rivals, but the only reason he got the Cubs job was that they were going into a rebuild. Despite being in a chase for a playoff slot, they aren't a playoff team; they are still pretenders and not contenders.
David Ross is failing as manager of the Cubs despite spending big
In 2020, his first year as manager, Ross got the Cubs into the playoffs and got swept in the Wild Card 2-0 versus the Miami Marlins. The next two seasons, the team failed to meet expectations, but as a large-market team that spends money, they should be able to make the playoffs yearly.
Ross isn't a good manager just like Joe Maddon wasn't a good manager, but at least Maddon took them to a World Series.
The Pittsburgh Pirates are currently rebuilding, but unlike the Cubs, they don't fast-track their rebuilding by buying a playoff spot. The Cubs have the 12th-highest payroll in all of MLB and aren't even in a playoff spot yet, and now only hold a 32.8 percent chance of making it.
