The Chicago Cubs fired manager David Ross and hired Craig Counsell on Monday. The longtime Milwaukee Brewers manager was lured to Chicago with a record-setting five-year, $40 million contract, sources familiar with the deal told ESPN. The moves, which the Cubs announced Monday afternoon, stunned the baseball world, which had seen Counsell’s return to Milwaukee or hiring by the New York Mets as the likeliest outcomes. The Cubs had publicly praised Ross, with owner Tom Ricketts saying Oct. 2: “He’s our guy.” When Counsell’s contract with the Brewers expired Oct. 31, the Cubs moved quickly to indicate their interest and offered a deal that shattered the […]