3 former Chicago Cubs who could replace David Ross as manager
By Kevin Henry
2. Mark Prior
Mark Prior, now the pitching coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers, pitched five seasons for the Cubs between 2002-06. He knows what it takes to succeed on the mound, and he’s not afraid to share it with anyone, including a future Hall of Famer like Clayton Kershaw.
“I think Mark is just tough, and I really respect that,” Kershaw in this article. “Sometimes, it’s not easy to deliver a message to somebody that they don’t want to hear. But [he’ll tell us], ‘Quit being soft. Or go get this guy. Or you’re not throwing strikes. Or you’re not executing.’ Like, ‘I get you’re mad, but fix it.’ And I respect that so much.”
Prior obviously has the messaging already down for how he might handle things in the clubhouse if he were to get his first-ever MLB managing job by being asked to come back to Wrigley Field. Like Girardi, Prior knows what it takes to play inside the Friendly Confines, but would his lack of managerial experience deter the thought of him taking over for Ross?
Injuries cut his career short with the Cubs, but perhaps he could start the next chapter with the franchise as their manager.