With the World Series in the middle of a travel day, this seems like the perfect opportunity to check in with the rest of the league. After all, it’s already the offseason for the 28 other teams, so let’s look at all of the non-World Series headlines from the past week.
Always a Cubbie
After parting ways with Joe Maddon after the season, the Cubs have kept it in the family for their new manager. The team has hired former big league catcher David Ross to take over for Maddon.
The 42-year-old Ross was part of Chicago’s run to the World Series in 2016, making him a former teammate of many of the players still on Chicago’s roster. Ross retired after the Cubs won the World Series in 2016 and has spent time as a TV analyst and in the Cubs front office since then.
He is obviously young and lacking in managerial experience but should command plenty of respect in the team’s clubhouse.
Empty Seat
The Pirates fired manager Clint Hurdle earlier this offseason and will now be looking for a new team president after Frank Coonelly and the club decided to part ways. A dreadful second half of the season for the Bucs made it “clear a change in the day-to-day leadership of the club is needed,” according to a statement from Bob Nutting, the Pirates’ chairman of the board.
According to the team’s statement, the Pirates have a replacement lined up, who will be introduced on Monday.
Trouble Brewing
As the World Series is going on, the Astros are under fire for comments made by assistant general manager Brandon Taubman during the team’s American League Championship Series victory celebration. According to a Sports Illustrated report, Taubman yelled praise for closer Roberto Osuna in the direction of a group of female reporters, including one who was wearing a purple bracelet to bring attention to domestic violence.
Osuna was arrested for domestic violence in 2018 and was serving a 75-game suspension from Major League Baseball when the Astros traded for him. The Astros initially tried to say the report was fabricated before Taubman issued an apology.
Major League Baseball is now looking into the matter, with commissioner Rob Manfred calling himself “really concerned” about reportedly what transpired.
Airing of Grievances
A big day is coming for baseball’s young stars. The grievance Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant filed in 2015 is finally being heard. In 2015, Bryant was one of the top prospects in baseball, but the Cubs chose to keep him in the minors at the start of the season to delay his free agency by a year.
Bryant filed a grievance against the Cubs after the season. If he wins, he could become a free agent after the 2020 season rather than waiting until 2021. The result of this grievance could also have a profound impact on the way teams manipulate the service time of young players.
Goodbye, Old Friend
Unfortunately, the baseball world experienced some sad news this past week with the passing of umpire Eric Cooper. After undergoing knee surgery following the season, Cooper died after developing a blood clot. Earlier this month, Cooper was working the American League Division Series between the Yankees and Twins. He also worked the 2014 World Series between the Giants and Royals. Cooper was just 52 years old.
