Cubs David Ross is correct. The Cubs are better than the Pirates, at least the 2023 version is. The Cubs just completed their season series with Pittsburgh and finished with a 10-3 record. That’s pretty definitive and yet some have taken issue with Ross’ grand proclamation. The timing is a little questionable though as the Pirates took the series handily and frustrating the Cubs as they pursue a spot in the postseason.

If Ross thought that by honking off the Pirates, they might win to spite him and the Cubs, then he’s a bigger ass than I thought possible. The only thing worse than a soft brag is the fake mea culpa. It’s bad enough when quarterbacks pretend to take the blame for a loss, but when coaches do it, it’s even less ingenuous. With rare exception (and I could name names), ML managers and NFL coaches are so cocksure of their genius that they’d never admit to being wrong.

It would have been totally acceptable if Ross had said something like, “I’m glad we won the season series 10-3 and I’m not sure that we could have swept this team.” In the grand scheme of things it’s pretty ridiculous to expect the Cubs to go 12-1 and that two losses would keep them out of the playoffs, but it may (or any two losses during the season).

The Pirates have plenty of incentives for winning as many games as possible without any nudges from Ross.