6 Fast Facts About ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Dark Horse, David Ross

Retired baseball catcher, David Ross has been having quite the year. Between being on the team everyone in the nation was rooting for last fall and winning the World Series with the Chicago Cubs, Ross has been nearly everywhere.

On Monday night, the 40-year-old made his eagerly anticipated debut on Dancing with the StarsMonday night and naturally, he dazzled.

As the first-ever baseball player to compete on the hit ABC dance completion, Ross received high scores from all the judges on the show’s season premiere as he danced the quickstep to “Go Cubs, Go!” with professional partner, Lindsay Arnold.

But who exactly is David Ross? While it might be a philosophical question for the dad of three, he’s certainly a dark horse in the dance competition and someone that everyone will be keeping their eyes on this season. Click through to learn six fast facts about the former baseball player.

He’s a great dad

The father of three indulges in the simple pleasures of life, like taking his kids to school or hitting the pool with them. In an interview with MLB.com, Ross said he spends as much time with them as he can.

“You see your kids growing up and you don’t see them for a couple weeks other than FaceTime, and you talk to them on the phone and their lingo is different,” Ross said. “You feel that time is passing you by. Being a dad is important to me. We have priorities in life, and the older I get, it’s time for my family to be top priority. … I love this game, but I love my family way more.”

Earned two World Series titles

Ross has earned a long and successful career as a catcher in Major League Baseball. His 14-year career started with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2002, later moving to the Boston Red Sox in 2013 and winning the World Series. Just last autumn, Ross helped the Chicago Cubs break the “Curse of the Billy Goat,” ending their 108-year-old wait for another win. At the age of 39, he became the oldest player to hit a home run in Game 7 of the World Series, and has now retired.

He loves to work

Even though Ross is officially retired, he is still very much involved with baseball and is said to be a special assistant for the Chicago Cubs in baseball operations for the 2017 season. Nicknamed, “Grandpa Rossy,” it looks like he just can’t leave those lucky Cubbies behind.

Married his high school sweetheart

Like all adorable love stories, Ross married his high school sweetheart, Hyla Ross. The two have three children together, Landri, Cole and Harper.

Made his ‘Saturday Night Live’ debut

Ross made a special appearance on Saturday Night Live with Cubs fan and SNL alum Bill Murray, 66, to celebrate the Cubs’ World Series win in Nov. 2016. He also performed a rendition of the Chicago Cubs theme song, “Go Gubs Go” with Murray and fellow Cubs players Anthony Rizzo, 27, and Dexter Fowler, 30. 

He’s also a writer

Ross’ memoir, “Teammate: My Journey in Baseball and a World Series for the Ages,” will be released later this spring. Not only will he chronicle his MLB journey, but he will touch on the groundbreaking moment for the Cubs last autumn and share interviews with former teammates like Jon Lester, 33, former coaches, and his wife.