Cubs' Ross: Suspensions make zero sense
The Cubs were hosting a regular season game Friday against a non-Central Division opponent at Wrigley Field for the first time since Sept. 3, 2019.
But manager David Ross couldn't be there. He was suspended one game and relief pitcher Ryan Tepera for three games after Tepera threw a pitch behind Milwaukee pitcher Brandon Woodruff on Tuesday.
Predictably, the Cubs were trying to figure out why catcher Willson Contreras has been hit three times by the Brewers this season with no punishment. But a pitch at knee level that didn't come close to hitting Woodruff is a huge problem.
"We got hit twice and got warnings in Pittsburgh," Ross said before the Cubs played Atlanta. "We got warnings after we got hit and our catcher got fined a really big amount of money for being upset by being hit in the head and being hit in the shoulder.
"Then he got hit in the hand again the other day, our pitcher (Alec Mills) got thrown up and in, and we threw one behind a guy's calf and we've got suspensions and fines everywhere. That makes (expletive) zero sense to me."
Contreras has been hit by a pitch seven times in the last 15 games against the Brewers, going back to early last season.
"I think if anything it's more 'shame on us' if we don't do something," outfielder Jason Heyward said Friday. "I don't understand it. He (Tepera) didn't hit anyone. I don't think we have anything to start. I think we're kind of late to the party on that. The Cubs posted something on IG that night. You've seen how many times Willson's been hit. To me, the old school way, stand up for your teammates."
Before the game, Ross said he was still deciding whether to watch from upstairs at Wrigley Field or at home with his kids. Either way, he'll have more time to try to understand the punishments.
"Since I've been here, we lead the league in getting hit by pitches and it's not even close, and we've never intentionally retaliated, to my knowledge," Ross said. "It's just a little confusing I think to me, from my seat.
"I've had a hard time understanding a lot of what's come down from Major League Baseball. It's out of my control. I've voiced my displeasure to the powers that be and we'll move on."
Twitter: @McGrawDHBulls