Otto: Ross brought from behind the plate

In this young season, the Cubs got hit with a double whammy at the catching position when they lost Kyle Schwarber for the year, and then Miguel Montero since late April.

With the Cubs activating Montero, it's time to acknowledge the job David Ross has done in his place as the regular starting catcher.

This Cubs pitching staff appears to have not missed a beat by having Ross as the regular catcher during Miggy's time on the DL.

Watching Ross go about his business behind the plate has been impressive. Particularly, the way he has handled the pitching staff. When you have a catcher that can nurse a pitcher through some of the bad times, roll with the pitcher when they are dealing, get on them when they are screwing up … well, that can be invaluable.

The catching position poses so many challenges, and the really good ones are worth their weight in gold. Like Ross, the really good catchers are part psychologist, coach, arbiter and leader all rolled into one.

On Friday, the Cubs had a big lead, but Jason Hammel gave up 2 quick runs in the sixth inning. There was a throwing error and an infield hit mixed in, and Hammel was faced with 2 runs in and a man on first. Hammel is a veteran and probably would have maintained control of the game on his own, but Ross and pitching coach Chris Bosio paid him a visit on the mound.

Hammel calmly struck out the batter, and got the next one to ground into an inning-ending double play.

There is that constant chatter from Ross, the PHD, making sure that his pitchers are in the right frame of mind.

A pitcher's delivery to the plate can occasionally derail. If a pitcher is dropping his arm, or flying open with his front side, a really good catcher can point those things out. It amazes me that a catcher like Ross can track a 95 mph fastball, while also watching a pitcher's mechanics.

In a typical game, the catcher will get in that crouch for about 150 pitches. That takes a toll on his legs and his ability to come out of the chute to throw out would be basestealers, or pickoff baserunners. At 39 years old, Ross is doing a really good job in controlling the running game.

Good catchers also delicately arbitrate with home plate umpires on balls and strikes. This delicate, and sometimes not so delicate, interaction all occurs with the home plate umpire breathing down their necks.

Junior Ortiz, a former backup catcher, used to dab a little cologne on for the benefit of the home plate umpire. On particularly warm summer days, it seemed Junior would get the "strike" call on those borderline pitches.

As for leadership, catchers have to keep track of each pitcher on a staff and gain a feel for what kind of pitches each one likes to throw in certain situations. After Friday's game, Jason Hammel mentioned that he only shook off the signs from Ross one time.

That's powerful for a pitcher to have a catcher who's on the same page. If a pitcher thinks he has a really good curve ball in a game, and the catcher immediately puts down the sign for that curve ball, that pitcher is even more confident in the next pitch he will throw.

With his home run on Friday, Ross is 1 shy of 100 for his career. While quite a milestone for a predominantly backup catcher, these other facets that David Ross brings to the game are even more impressive.

• Dave Otto, a standout athlete at Elk Grove High School, pitched from 1987-1994 for four MLB teams, including the Cubs. A former baseball analyst for WGN Radio, FoxSportsNet and Comcast SportsNet Chicago, Otto also is a member of the University of Missouri Hall of Fame.