For more than a decade, David Ross was a nondescript back-up catcher floating through Major League Baseball anonymously. Then he signed with the Cubs, assumed a grandpa persona, announced his retirement a year in advance, won a World Series and became a hero.
Now, Ross is such a celebrity that not only has he lined up a gig as an ESPN analyst, he’s also got plans to play for the Harlem Globetrotters, according to a tweet he sent Wednesday night.
Coming out of retirement for the night! March 1 in Tallahassee. Come check out my new team @Globies pic.twitter.com/1bkf0zslWe
— David Ross (@D_Ross3) February 22, 2017
The Globetrotters play March 1 in Tallahassee at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center, home of Florida State basketball. Ross grew up in Tallahassee and lives there with his family now. And apparently he’ll treat his hometown crowd to some trick shots and fancy dribbling.
One problem with this arrangement is that Ross was never even that great at baseball (10.1 WAR in 15 MLB seasons), so expecting him to now play basketball competently is asking a lot. We haven’t seen many 39-year-olds whose nicknames are “grandpa” suit up for the Globetrotters, but maybe that’s part of the charm.
And you have to admit, Ross really wears that uniform well.
