Ross brings wealth of experience to Cubs
MESA, Ariz. - You may see him on the field only once a week. But he can help you win ballgames the other six days, too.
He is the backup catcher, and he can be one of the most important players on a baseball team even if he is one of the least noticed.
Often, he's a veteran whose starting days are in the rearview mirror or a guy who is much more successful at catching than he is at hitting.
The Cubs snagged a good one this off-season when they signed 38-year-year-old David Ross to a two-year contract to back up Miguel Montero and Welington Castillo.
Ross comes most recently from the Boston Red Sox, with whom he won a world championship in 2013. He also has been with the Braves, Reds, Padres, Pirates and Dodgers.
With the Reds in 2007, he played in a career-high 112 games, hitting 17 home runs. But for most of his career, he has been the backup.
If a player can accept that role, he can carve out a long career in the big leagues. Ross enters this season with 12-plus years of major-league experience.
"I try to show up every day and be positive and go out there and play as hard as I can," he said Sunday at Cubs spring-training camp. "I think you need to be positive. You need to have a routine. It's not an easy job. I enjoy it.
"I don't know exactly what it takes. I know what I do and the goals that I have when I come in every day, to be positive, work hard, set an example, especially being the oldest guy in the locker room. I've got to set an example for what it's like to come to work every day."
On their coaching staff, the Cubs have one of the best backups in recent years in Henry Blanco, who played parts of 16 major-league seasons, including 2005-08 with the Cubs.
"It's the mentality to come here and help and just be ready when the manager needs you," Blanco said. "And do the kind of stuff we need to do, like learn the pitching staff. I think (Ross) is probably one of the best right now in that position.
"I think it all depends on the work you want to put in. It depends how badly you want to win and how badly you want to learn the pitching staff, which is important. If the starting catcher goes down, you've got to step up and do the job. You have to have the mentality to be ready all the time and be willing to learn the pitching staff."
Cubs manager Joe Maddon likened the backup catcher position to a similar job in another sport. He said Ross adds value to the role.
"A good backup quarterback is always very, very important," Maddon said. "It's magnified with him. It's exaggerated in a positive way. He's just a different cat. I'm getting to know him right now. From the other dugout, I've always known the benefits he brought to a team. Then you get to converse with him and be with him. ...
"He's very engaged. He understands and knows the game. He's one of those guys that I can really appreciate, being a former catcher myself. But beyond that, man, it's just how he presents (himself) every day. He is one of those guys who's exceptional in the clubhouse."
Just as Blanco often was the "personal catcher" to Hall of Famer Greg Maddux, Ross has served as the backstop for lefty Jon Lester, whom the Cubs signed this off-season to be their ace.
According to the Cubs media guide, Ross recorded a 3.29 catcher's ERA from 2009-14. In that span, Lester had a 2.77 ERA throwing to Ross while with the Red Sox.
Ross deflected the credit to Lester.
"He's really good," the catcher said. "I don't know. I just think it's one of those things, you hit it off with some guys. We've got a good rapport. We talk a lot. I don't think I do anything special for him.
"He trusts me. We've built that trust, and sometimes that's a big deal. We've been in some battles and some scenarios where things were a little crazy, and we worked out of it and talked about it. So it's just a little bit of a history and background.
"I'm not here to toot my own horn. He's really good. It's pretty easy to catch him and a lot of fun, which it's going to be for a lot of guys here."
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