by David Ross
First published 2017
David Ross opens his story with that unforgettable November night in 2016 when the Chicago Cubs finally won the World Series after 108 years. The veteran catcher known as "Grandpa Rossy" had spent 13 of his 15 professional seasons riding the bench, but at 39 he found himself at the center of baseball history. Ross chronicles his journey from career backup to team leader, showing how he became the Cubs' emotional anchor in their locker room. Players like Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo, nearly two decades younger, looked to him for guidance and made him a social media star. The book follows Ross through that magical season when everything aligned: his unexpected strong performance, his role mentoring younger teammates, and the Cubs' march toward breaking their legendary curse. Ross reveals how his final career at-bat produced a home run that helped clinch the championship in a dramatic seven-game series against Cleveland. He frames his entire baseball life around those pivotal moments when a backup catcher became the heart of a championship team.
Genres: sports, biography-memoir, baseball, sports-romance
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, underdog
Setting: Chicago
Period: 2016
272 pages · Hardcover · Grand Central Publishing