The last year has been so long. How long has it been?
“It feels like it’s been seven,” Cubs manager David Ross estimated. “I don’t know how to put that in perspective. There’s been a lot.”
Seven sounds about right, doesn’t it? It certainly has been a year unlike any other in sports and in baseball, which turned off the lights last March 12 as pandemic-related concerns intensified.
Not quite a year since that portentous day, Ross was asked if — let’s say on March 10, 2020 — he saw the shutdown coming.
“It wasn’t really on my radar,” he admitted.
He was a first-time manager juggling the regular demands of spring training. Around every turn was something new to figure out that was about plain old baseball. In short: Ross’ head was swimming already.
Then-president of baseball operations Theo Epstein was more ahead of the curve. When the 12th arrived and the day’s games were canceled, Ross asked his boss if players should stick around.
“No,” Epstein advised. “It’s going to be a while.”
Why does it matter now? Marking a year feels kind of good, is all.
“It does feel like we’re moving in the right direction,” Ross said.
In Hoerner’s corner?
Don’t think Nico Hoerner’s possible ascent to an everyday second base job is all about his hot hitting. Nine hits in 13 at-bats to begin the spring is one thing, but Hoerner is a “great” glove man, according to his manager, is getting better as a base runner, is confident and mature. See? Lots of stuff.
OK, fine, it’s the hitting.
“That’s the main thing,” Ross said.
Of course it is.
Strop back in camp
Reliever Pedro Strop, reunited with the Cubs — for now — on a minor-league deal, returned to work four days after breaking health and safety protocols while dining indoors with a party including Indians players Jose Ramirez and Franmil Reyes. All three players isolated away from their teams and tested negative for COVID-19.
