Cubs to hire ex-catcher Ross as next manager

The Cubs will hire David Ross as their next manager. Contract details still need to be finalized.

NBC Sports Chicago’s David Kaplan was the first to report his hiring.

While Ross, 42, has no managerial experience, Cubs President Theo Epstein would be banking on the leadership Ross showed during a 15-year playing career, which culminated with the Cubs’ 2016 World Series title, and the evaluation skills Ross honed the last three seasons as a special assistant in baseball operations.

Epstein chose not to extend Joe Maddon’s contract after the Cubs missed the playoffs this year for the first time since 2014, blowing a 3-game lead in the NL Central with 47 games left. They went 19-27 in one-run games and 20-36 in road night games, and Epstein said their 73.8% contact rate was the worst in baseball.

Despite not joining the Cubs until 2015, Ross quickly became a fan and clubhouse favorite. First baseman Anthony Rizzo dubbed him ”Grandpa” because he was much older than the young core that played instrumental roles in the World Series title.

Soccer:

Lionel Messi scored in the third minute and set up Luis Suarez’s goal in the 57th minute to help Barcelona beat host Slavia Prague 2-1 for its second straight victory in group play of Champions League qualifying. The two-time defending La Liga champ leads Inter Milan and Borussia Dortmund by three points in the Group F standings. It was Barca’s sixth consecutive victory across all competitions . ... Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scored twice to lead English Premier League leader Liverpool to a 4-1 victory over host Genk, ending the Reds’ four-game road skid in the group phase of the Champions League. Liverpool remained in second place in Group E — one point behind Napoli.

Tennis:

Top-seeded Roger Federer eased to a 6-0, 6-3 win over 49th-ranked Radu Albot of Moldova in the second round of the Swiss Indoors in Basel. Federer has won his hometown event nine times.