Cody Ross

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Cody Ross
Cody Ross on August 14, 2012.jpg
Arizona Diamondbacks – No. 7
Outfielder
Born: (1980-12-23) December 23, 1980 (age 32)
Portales, New Mexico
Bats: Right Throws: Left 
MLB debut
July 4, 2003 for the Detroit Tigers
Career statistics
(through May 19, 2013)
Batting average     .263
Home runs     123
Runs batted in     465
Doubles     191
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Cody Joseph Ross (born December 23, 1980) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball. Ross has also played for the Detroit Tigers (2003), Los Angeles Dodgers (2005–2006), Cincinnati Reds (2006), Florida Marlins (2006–2010), San Francisco Giants (2010–2011) and Boston Red Sox (2012).

Contents

Early life [edit]

Ross was born in Portales, New Mexico, and played high school baseball in Carlsbad, New Mexico. As a youth, Ross wanted to become a rodeo clown, with his father being a professional bull rider.[1]

Professional career [edit]

Early career [edit]

Ross was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the fourth round of the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft. In 2003, Ross was named the Tigers Minor League Player of the Year. The following offseason, he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for pitcher Steve Colyer.

He was traded to the Marlins from the Cincinnati Reds for cash or a player to be named later (Ben Kozlowski). In 2006, Ross posted modest statistics for three different teams but had two seven-RBI games and a three-home run game. On April 13, 2006, as a member of the Dodgers, he hit a tie-breaking grand slam and a three run home run.

Ross at Florida Marlins spring training in February 2008.

Florida Marlins [edit]

On May 26, 2006, the Florida Marlins purchased Ross from the Reds.[2] On September 11, 2006, he hit a three-run home run and a pair of two-run home runs. The five home runs and 14 RBI for the two games were more than any other month for Ross that season. In his five years with the Marlins, Ross hit .258 with 80 home runs and 297 RBIs. After falling out of contention in the 2010 season and due for a pay raise the following year, the Florida Marlins put Ross on waivers in order save money and give their young players more playing time.[3]

San Francisco Giants [edit]

On August 21, 2010, Ross was awarded to the San Francisco Giants on a waiver claim, in part to block a similar claim by the San Diego Padres.[4][5] He appeared in 33 regular season games for the Giants, batting .288 with three home runs. The Giants went on to overtake the Padres late in the season to win the National League West Division title.

In the ensuing 2010 National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves, Ross started all four games in right field, hit a home run to tie the deciding fourth game, and batted in the winning runs in two of the Giants' three wins.[6] Ross hit two home runs off of Roy Halladay in Game 1 in the following 2010 National League Championship Series,[7][8] and hit a solo home run against Roy Oswalt in Game 2.[9] Following the Giants' Game 6 win of the 2010 NLCS, Ross was awarded the MVP award for the series, in which he hit .350 with three home runs, three doubles and recorded five RBI.[10] Three of his five postseason home runs broke up no-hitters. His home run off the Braves' Derek Lowe was the Giants' first hit in Game 4 of the NLDS. His first home run off Roy Halladay in Game 1 of the NLCS was the first hit off Halladay in 11 innings, as Halladay had thrown a no-hitter in his previous start. His home run off Roy Oswalt in Game 2 of the NLCS was the Giants' first hit of the game.[11] In Game 3 of the World Series he hit the first home run off Colby Lewis.

In 2011 Ross re-signed with the Giants for a 1-year contract worth $6.3 million.[12]

Ross during his tenure with the San Francisco Giants in 2011.

Ross became a popular player in San Francisco, earning the nickname "Ross the Boss" for his timely, occasionally powerful hitting, and good fielding skills.[13]

Boston Red Sox [edit]

On January 23, 2012, Ross signed a one-year contract with the Boston Red Sox. On April 14, 2012, Ross hit his first home run in a Red Sox uniform, a two-run shot off Tampa Bay Rays's Burke Badenhop. The next day, Ross hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the 2nd inning off Matt Moore. On May 18, 2012, Ross suffered a fractured foot after fouling a ball off his foot. He was placed on the disabled list and expected to miss from 6 to 8 weeks.

On June 16, 2012, Ross went a rehabilitation assignment to the minor leagues to recover from a fractured foot. Three days later, he was called back to the majors by the Red Sox. His first game back, he hit a home run over the Green Monster at Fenway Park. Several days later he hit two home runs in one game against the Toronto Blue Jays. He has started almost every day for Boston in all three outfield positions, but mainly right field. On the season he has 16 home runs and 50 RBIs.

He hit two consecutive three-run home runs against the Chicago White Sox on July 18, 2012, and he hit a three-run home run for a walk-off win against the White Sox on July 19, 2012.

Arizona Diamondbacks [edit]

On December 22, 2012, Ross agreed to a three-year contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks worth reported $26 million, with a club option and a $1 million buyout.[14]

Personal life [edit]

Ross and his wife, Summer, live most of the year in Scottsdale, Arizona, with their two children.[15][16]

Ross bats right-handed and throws left-handed; one of the rarest dominant bats/throws combinations in the history of Major League baseball. The only position player in the Baseball Hall of Fame with this combination of "bats/throws" is Rickey Henderson, who, like Ross, also had stints with the Dodgers and Red Sox.[17]

References [edit]

  1. ^ Ostler, Scott (2010-10-14). "Rodeo clown Ross comes to the Giants' rescue". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2011-06-15. 
  2. ^ Fay, John. "Cody Ross, we barely knew you". Cincinnati Reds Blog. Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved 2011-06-15. 
  3. ^ D'Angelo, Tom (2010-08-22). "Florida Marlins lose Cody Ross to San Francisco Giants on waiver claim". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved 2011-06-15. 
  4. ^ Shea, John (2010-08-24). "Beat: Wanted or not, Ross happy to be here". The San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2010-08-26. 
  5. ^ "Sources say Giants made claim for Florida Marlins' Cody Ross - Florida Marlins". MiamiHerald.com. 2010-08-21. Retrieved 2010-08-22. 
  6. ^ Haft, Chris (2010-10-11). "Giants' Ross is Braves' pain; epic career over". MLB.com (sfgiants.com). Retrieved 2010-10-12. 
  7. ^ Shea, John (2010-10-17). "NLCS, Game 1". The San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2010-10-17. 
  8. ^ Stark, Jayson (October 17, 2010). "Cody Ross steps into starring role". ESPN.com. 
  9. ^ Maaddi, Rob (October 18, 2010). "Philadelphia Phillies Take Game 2, Even NLCS at 1-1". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2010-11-15. 
  10. ^ Ortiz, Jorge (2010-10-24). "Accidental Giant Cody Ross named MVP of NLCS". USA Today. Retrieved 2010-10-25. 
  11. ^ Schulman, Henry (2011-01-08). "Philadelphia Phillies even series with Giants". The San Francisco Chronicle. 
  12. ^ http://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/SF-Giants-sign-deals-with-Cody-Ross-Jonathan-2461791.php
  13. ^ Ortiz, Jorge L. (2011-05-11). "Giants' winning formula has a familiar feel to it". USA Today. 
  14. ^ http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/8772488/cody-ross-agrees-three-year-contract-arizona-diamondbacks-sources
  15. ^ http://www.abqjournal.com/news/state/272331297405newsstate10-27-10.htm
  16. ^ http://codyross.org/?p=398
  17. ^ http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/bats-right-throws-left-the-best-players-in-major-league-history/

External links [edit]

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