Craig Counsell says he respects “the heck out of David Ross” after coming in as new manager

Craig Counsell has been hired by the Chicago Cubs, effectively replacing David Ross. In fact, Ross was still the active manager when Counsell was hired. It was a shocking hire that sent ripples throughout the baseball world. Not only did the Cubs surprise everyone, they surprised Ross, too.

Counsell and Ross have been managing against each other since 2019, when Ross became the manager of Chicago. They are obviously very familiar with one another, being divisional rivals and all.

Counsell recently revealed that Ross texted Counsell before the news even broke. One can surmise that it was a positive message since Counsell said:

"I respect the heck out of David Ross."

The former Milwaukee Brewers manager is apparently managing his dream job now. A source close to the manager revealed that if there was ever another team he wanted to manage, it was the Cubs.

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The Cubs landed Craig Counsell

The New York Mets were very high on Craig Counsell, and that ended up paying dividends by helping push the Cubs to a historic offer to land the manager to the highest contract in baseball.

Ross, for what it's worth, has admitted that he feels a little frustrated over the move, but is keeping his head high:

"There's great people there. I really don't have a whole lot negative to say, to be honest. I get mad from time to time but I have a lot to be thankful for.”

Counsell was previously the longest-tenured manager in baseball. With the Brewers, he was in the playoffs most of the time and he has widely been heralded as one of the best managers in the sport.

Craig Counsell replaced David Ross

The Cubs' brass reportedly considered him a top two manager in the game, which makes it more understandable why they ousted an established and well-liked leader for him when they got the chance.

Ross was recently offered a bench coach position with the New York Yankees, but he reportedly prefers a manager's spot and may continue looking for that.