Ross thankful for Cubs opportunity despite firing: ‘I have a lot of gratitude’

Former Chicago Cubs manager David Ross is still trying to wrap his head around being fired but says he’s thankful he even got the chance to manage the club in the first place.

“I think the thing that comes over me is that I am extremely thankful for the opportunity, to be honest,” Ross told the Tallahassee Democrat’s Jim Henry.

“There was a lot of people who worked really hard alongside me. … I am really thankful for the four years I got, coming from zero coaching experience to getting the chance to manage such a great organization that has impacted my life in a great way. There’s great people there. I really don’t have a whole lot negative to say, to be honest.”

The Cubs fired Ross on Monday and replaced him with former Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell. The move sent shockwaves through the baseball industry as Counsell jumped from one side of the Midwest rivalry to the other.

Ross said he was blindsided by the decision, which he learned about on Monday when president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer flew to meet with him at his home in Florida.

The former catcher, who helped the Cubs break their World Series curse in 2016 before retiring, says he doesn’t plan to dwell on losing the position for much longer. Instead, he wants to turn the page to the next chapter in his life.

“Anger and all that stuff is poison for me,” Ross said.

“It’s time for me to figure out what’s next. I have a lot of gratitude. Some of the toughest times of my life, whether it’s getting released or different things in my career, on and off the field, have been blessings at some point, have made me a better man. There’s been a lot of good things after some really tough times in my life. Hopefully, this is another one of them.”

The 46-year-old managed the Cubs for four seasons, winning a division title during the shortened 2020 campaign. He finished his Cubs tenure with a 262-284 record.

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