Ross considers Cubs-Brewers roof controversy closed
MILWAUKEE - After dropping a few choice words during his postgame interview Tuesday, Cubs manager David Ross said he did not hear from the Commissioner's Office - but he did get a call from his parents, asking if everything was going OK.
It was. But there still seemed to be confusion about the roof situation.
The Cubs' complaint wasn't simply that the roof closed at some point late in their 7-6 victory; it's possible there was rain in the area. What happened was the roof started closing, then stopped. It then closed completely in the next half inning.
Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said Wednesday once a game starts, the umpires decide whether the roof closes, just as they dictate when the tarp should cover the field and cause a weather.
"I'm not in the roof business. I don't want to be in the roof business," Counsell said before the game. "You're never going to make everyone happy in the roof business."
Ross said he was told by the umpires they do not control whether the roof closes midgame.
"The roof stuff is discussed before the game, if they plan on closing it and what those circumstances are," Ross said Wednesday. "I don't control the roof, the umpires don't control the roof. There's rules set in place to deter certain things."
While the Cubs were batting, the open-roof left center field was bathed in sunlight. When the Brewers batted in the bottom half of the inning, there was complete shade in center field.
Was it an advantage when it came to the hitting background? Did it make any difference in Tuesday's game? No one knows.
"They said there could be a pop-up shower yesterday," Ross joked. "It looked pretty nice to me. I don't know. Beautiful Fourth of July. Really un-American to shut the roof last night."
On Wednesday, a strong thunderstorm rolled over Milwaukee about three hours before game time, so the roof to American Family Field stayed shut.
Kiss Army assemble:
Cubs lefthander Anthony Kay took the mound Sunday to the 1977 song "Love Gun" by Kiss, which seemed to be an unusual choice. Asked about it before the game in Milwaukee, Kay said the song was actually chosen by fellow reliever Michael Rucker.
"They were playing 'Here Comes the Boom,' and I was trying to think of something different," Kay said.
So Kay took Rucker's suggestion and, since he threw a perfect inning Sunday against the Guardians, said he might stick with it.
Around the horn:
Pitcher Adrian Sampson made his return to Triple A on Wednesday, allowing 1 hit and 1 run in 4 innings. Sampson, who started 19 games for the Cubs last season, had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on May 5, two starts into the season. ... According to ESPN Stats, Ian Happ is the first player to record two outfield assists in extra innings since 2006, when the Mets' Endy Chavez did it. Happ threw out runners at the plate in both the 10th and 11th innings Tuesday.
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