Along with winning the World Series last season with the Chicago Cubs, catcher David Ross includes his tenure with the Atlanta Braves among the highlights of his career.
Ross, a back-up catcher for the Braves from 2009-2012, reflects on his time in Atlanta and the lessons he learned in the Braves’ clubhouse in his new book “Teammate.”
While Ross fondly mentioned his friendship with former Braves’ pitcher and Auburn roommate Tim Hudson and his close relationship with former Braves’ catcher Brian McCann, Ross had the most to say about former Braves’ manager Bobby Cox.
To Ross, Cox radiated positivity, personality and competitiveness.
“Bobby knew how to get the most out of everyone... Bobby expected you to look and act like a professional. We had a uniform to wear on and off the field. Bobby wanted you in slacks. That was about the only thing players hated about Bobby. We had to be dressed in slacks on the road with a collared shirt— the total opposite of Joe Maddon’s philosophy! But the thing was, nobody in Atlanta complained about the dress code because Bobby allowed us to come and go as we wanted. There wasn’t a curfew. He expected us as grown men to stay out of trouble, do things right, play hard,” Ross wrote in “Teammate.”
Ross writes that his time in Atlanta became the turning point in his career. Mostly because Cox never considered Ross a backup catcher, even though he was signed behind McCann.
“Bobby looked at me as an everyday guy... I checked my ego at the door every day and asked myself what I could do to help this team win. Under Bobby and the Braves, I understood I had value. But, even more important, I also watched how Bobby managed the game and managed people. He was a huge influence on me, just watching how he communicated with everyone,” Ross wrote.
“Teammate” will be released on May 9.
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