The Cubs didn’t record a single out yet, but Ross was sent to the showers
By Scott Thompson
Chicago Cubs manager David Ross wasted no time getting under home plate umpire Alex MacKay’s skin in the Sunday afternoon matinee with the New York Yankees, leading to his ejection in the bottom of the first before his team recorded an out.
And all of it was caught on a hot mic around home plate.
Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks had only thrown five pitches, but Ross clearly didn’t like how MacKay was calling things behind the dish. Ross bellowed to MacKay from the Cubs’ dugout, and the home plate umpire heard enough.
With Giancarlo Stanton waiting for the pitch from Hendricks, MacKay stepped out of his regular crouch behind the catcher and tossed Ross, who quickly jumped from the dugout to confront MacKay.
Ross was immediately animated, and the hot mic eventually caught what he was saying.
“You’ve got to be better,” Ross said. “You got one g—— game before you get a break and you’re that f—ing bad already? Why?”
It appeared that Ross called MacKay a “piece of s—” on his way back to the dugout, where he would have to enter the clubhouse and spend the rest of the game.
While it appeared Ross didn’t like a ball call during the at-bat against Stanton, he could’ve also been upset with a pitch clock violation that Hendricks had to start the inning.
The break Ross is referring to is the MLB All-Star break, which begins tomorrow as the elected All-Stars travel to Seattle for the festivities while the rest of the league gets some time off before the second half begins.
It’s Ross that’s getting to his break early, though.
