Can David Ross Bring the Magic of 2016 Back to the Cubs?

“When they won it in ’16, you’re starting to think dynasty,” said Jason Kipnis, the Indians’ second baseman in that World Series. “These guys were going to be good for a long time. They are good, they just haven’t won it. It’s hard to win it all the time. But this is still a very good team. I think they’re more than capable of accomplishing anything they want to.”

Kipnis joined the Cubs on a nonroster deal this winter to compete for the second base job, part of a surprisingly quiet off-season. Theo Epstein, the president of baseball operations, suggested last spring that he could make major changes if the Cubs regressed. Instead, he mostly restructured the scouting and player-development systems and hired Ross to erase the nagging sense that the core of the team had peaked. Nine players remain from the 2016 World Series roster.

“We just haven’t managed to get the most out of ourselves,” Epstein said. “We haven’t quite had the same intensity, focus, hunger, ability to overcome adversity and sort of lock in from Day 1.”

He added: “I think as a whole, as an organization, we haven’t handled winning the World Series really well. Every team that wins it has to find a way to be just as passionate. It takes some longer than others, and we just haven’t responded that well. Not to put everything on David Ross, but I think he’s uniquely positioned to really reach these guys.”

The Cubs are running out of time. Four high-impact players — second baseman Javier Baez, third baseman Kris Bryant, first baseman Anthony Rizzo and left fielder Kyle Schwarber — are eligible for free agency after the 2021 season. They remain productive but now have an understanding of how it feels to be humbled.

“It’s not like: ‘Look what we did. And somehow they’re doubting us?’” Rizzo said. “Anything people write, we’ve got to go out and change the narrative. It’s on us. When things are going well, it’s easy to be happy and joyful, everyone loves you. But when you’re kicked in the teeth, how fast are you going to come back?”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/29/sports/baseball/david-ross-cubs.html