technical details
  1. is_video => true
  2. alias => "chicago\/\/cubs\/why-david-ross-excited-about-umpire-crew-joining-cubs-summer-camp"
  3. nid => "862551"
  4. title => "Why David Ross is 'excited' about umpire crew joining Cubs Summer Camp"
  5. is_chrome_page => false
  6. article_body => "<p>The days of Cubs mental skills coach John Baker holding an armchair cushion between him and the catcher as he calls balls and strikes&nbsp;may be over.<\/p>\n<p>Professional umpires will soon take over the responsibility of calling the Cubs\u2019 intrasquad scrimmages. Crew chief Tony Randazzo and his umpire crew will embed themselves at Cubs Summer Camp, manager David Ross announced Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think it\u2019s going to affect the mental skills department too,\u201d Ross said, laughing. \u201cYeah, I\u2019m excited about getting real umpires up here. Bake\u2019s been doing a good job for us, but every chance we get an opportunity to turn up the dial and make it as game-like as possible, the better.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wysiwyg-center\"><em><a href=\"https:\/\/smart.link\/5bb676790335f?site_id=Dig_RSN_Chi&amp;creative_id=nbcschi5720&amp;cp_4=www.nbcsports.com&amp;cp_1=washington&amp;cp_2=myteams-nbc-sports&amp;cp_3=nbcschi5720\">Click to download the MyTeams App for the latest Cubs news and analysis.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>From his playing days as a catcher, Ross is familiar with Randazzo. Ross said he\u2019s excited about using the umpires as a \u201csounding board\" for questions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The introduction of MLB umpires, which is expected to be implemented across the league, is also set up to give umpires practice before the regular season.<\/p>\n<p>The Cubs\u2019 earliest scrimmages, as well as Sunday\u2019s intrasquad game, featured catchers calling balls and strikes, which Ross called, \u201cfun and unique.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBeing in that situation in the past,\u201d the former catcher said, laughing, \u201cyou\u2019re not going to make anybody happy when you punch them out.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In the middle of the week, Baker took over umpiring duties. Baker has Tier 1 clearance \u2013 the Cubs deemed his role a priority, especially in the midst of a pandemic \u2013 so he has on-field access.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Tonight I became the only man to bat, pitch, catch, and umpire Major League Baseball at Wrigley Field. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/NZ1CIGhPnq\">https:\/\/t.co\/NZ1CIGhPnq<\/a><\/p>&mdash; John Baker (@manbearwolf) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/manbearwolf\/status\/1281397947507388416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 10, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n \n<p>\u201cWell, after umpiring 5 \u00bd (innings) tonight,\u201d Baker posted to Twitter on Thursday, \u201cI can say that that job is much harder than it looks on TV. I\u2019m exhausted.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/194b557a-5b1a-41fa-9e3c-3a7b33a4c831\/embed?playlist_type=latest\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/chicago\/podcast#CubssTalk\">SUBSCRIBE TO THE CUBS TALK PODCAST FOR FREE.<\/a><\/p>\n"
  7. author => "Maddie Lee"
  8. mps => {"author":"Maddie Lee","league":"","sport":"","sponsor":""}
  9. published => "1594592280"
  10. created => "1594593386"
  11. changed => "1594596462"
  12. status => "1"
  13. hero_image_credit => "USA Today"
  14. tags_hide => null
  15. tags => [{"tid":"10551","name":"MLB","url":"tags\/mlb"},{"tid":"7991","name":"David Ross","url":"david-ross"},{"tid":"1881","name":"Chicago Cubs","url":"chicago-cubs"}]
  16. section => "Cubs"
  17. team => "Chicago Cubs"
  18. image => {"uri":"public:\/\/archive\/assets_article\/chicago\/2020\/07\/12\/theo_epstein_thumb.jpg","alt":"theo_epstein_thumb.jpg","title":"Cubs proud of players' commitment to following protocols"}
  19. video_url => "https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/chicago\/video\/cubs-proud-players-commitment-following-protocols"
  20. is_mediaid => true
  21. mediaid => "QEb4WQ89C_Oe"
  22. video_autoplay => true
  23. video_automute => false
  24. mpx_account_id => "BxmELC"
  25. player_id => "chicago_article"
  26. chrome_data => "{\"league\":\"\",\"sport\":\"\",\"sponsor\":\"\"}"
  27. sponsor => ""
  28. region => "chicago"
  29. fb_url => "https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dialog\/share?app_id=330072974228200&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcsports.com%2Fchicago%2Fcubs%2Fwhy-david-ross-excited-about-umpire-crew-joining-cubs-summer-camp&display=popup"
  30. tw_url => "https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Why%20David%20Ross%20is%20%27excited%27%20about%20umpire%20crew%20joining%20Cubs%20Summer%20Camp&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcsports.com%2Fchicago%2Fcubs%2Fwhy-david-ross-excited-about-umpire-crew-joining-cubs-summer-camp&original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcsports.com%2Fchicago%2Fcubs%2Fwhy-david-ross-excited-about-umpire-crew-joining-cubs-summer-camp"
  31. mailto => "mailto:?subject=Why%20David%20Ross%20is%20%27excited%27%20about%20umpire%20crew%20joining%20Cubs%20Summer%20Camp&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcsports.com%2Fchicago%2Fcubs%2Fwhy-david-ross-excited-about-umpire-crew-joining-cubs-summer-camp"
  32. type => "article"
  33. meta => {"file":"\/mnt\/gfs\/rsnunited\/sites\/default\/files\/archive\/article\/chicago\/cubs\/why-david-ross-excited-about-umpire-crew-joining-cubs-summer-camp.json","assets":["public:\/\/archive\/assets_article\/chicago\/2020\/07\/12\/theo_epstein_thumb.jpg"]}
  34. orig_image => {"uri":"public:\/\/2020\/07\/10\/theo_epstein_thumb.jpg","alt":"theo_epstein_thumb.jpg","title":"Cubs proud of players' commitment to following protocols"}
  35. article_type => "article"
Cubs

Cubs

The days of Cubs mental skills coach John Baker holding an armchair cushion between him and the catcher as he calls balls and strikes may be over.

Professional umpires will soon take over the responsibility of calling the Cubs’ intrasquad scrimmages. Crew chief Tony Randazzo and his umpire crew will embed themselves at Cubs Summer Camp, manager David Ross announced Sunday.

“I think it’s going to affect the mental skills department too,” Ross said, laughing. “Yeah, I’m excited about getting real umpires up here. Bake’s been doing a good job for us, but every chance we get an opportunity to turn up the dial and make it as game-like as possible, the better.”

Click to download the MyTeams App for the latest Cubs news and analysis.

From his playing days as a catcher, Ross is familiar with Randazzo. Ross said he’s excited about using the umpires as a “sounding board" for questions. 

The introduction of MLB umpires, which is expected to be implemented across the league, is also set up to give umpires practice before the regular season.

The Cubs’ earliest scrimmages, as well as Sunday’s intrasquad game, featured catchers calling balls and strikes, which Ross called, “fun and unique.”

“Being in that situation in the past,” the former catcher said, laughing, “you’re not going to make anybody happy when you punch them out.”

In the middle of the week, Baker took over umpiring duties. Baker has Tier 1 clearance – the Cubs deemed his role a priority, especially in the midst of a pandemic – so he has on-field access.

 

“Well, after umpiring 5 ½ (innings) tonight,” Baker posted to Twitter on Thursday, “I can say that that job is much harder than it looks on TV. I’m exhausted.”

 

SUBSCRIBE TO THE CUBS TALK PODCAST FOR FREE.