If one Chicago Cubs fan gets his way, we might see baseball’s version of John Scott hijack this summer’s All-Star game. It would be David Ross, the Cubs’ 39-year-old journeyman of a backup catcher who is retiring after this season.
MLB All-Star voting is already underway (yes, for real and, yes, Opening Day was only a few weeks ago). One thing we’ve learned about All-Star voting in the past, both in baseball and in other sports, fans in the Internet era love to muck it up with shenanigans.
Take the case of Scott, the veteran NHL enforcer who didn’t exactly deserve to be an All-Star this past season, but the Internet (aided by Yahoo Sports’ own Greg Wyshynski) decided he should be one. So began a fascinating saga in which the NHL tried to bar Scott from participating in the All-Star game, eventually relented, then Scott stole the show at the game and won the MVP. It started as a joke, but ended as such a feel-good story that someone bought the movie rights.
That’s the script Cubs fan Brian Dunigan is following by starting a campaign to get Ross into this July’s All-Star game in San Diego. This isn’t just a quest for online anarchy. His heart seems to be in the right place.
“Basically, a couple weeks ago, I’m sitting at my friend’s house on a Friday night and we’re just hanging out,” Dunigan told Yahoo Sports. “I said, ‘What if we started this Twitter campaign, a John Scott-type of movement for a baseball player?’ ”
It didn’t take long for him to decide on Ross, a .229 hitter over his 15-year MLB career, who has played in seven games this season and whose 72 games a year ago was his highest total since 2007. He’s not a star. Never has been. Never been an All-Star. Never even been close. But Ross has proven himself a valuable and respected role player over the years.
“This is a cool way for him to get sent off,” Dunigan said. ”Because it’s not like he’s going to get a present when he goes to Milwaukee the last time. They’re not going to have a ceremony for him.”
So far, the campaign for Ross has seen meager — but encouraging — results. Dunigan’s @RossASG16 Twitter account is approaching 500 followers. He said the account got a nice boost when Ross was behind the plate for Jake Arrieta’s no-hitter and homered in the game. That continued into the weekend when All-Star voting opened.
“I don’t have any social media training or anything. I’m just a regular guy,” said Dunigan, 29, who lives near Orlando, but whose parents grew up in Wrigleyville and instilled in him a passion for the Cubs.”
Here’s why Dunigan’s plan isn’t exactly insane: People in baseball love David Ross. Players love him. The media loves him. Fans love him. And we’re talking multiple fan bases.
Ross has played for seven teams, including the Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves, the Los Angeles Dodgers and now the Cubs. That’s one of the reasons Dunigan thinks this might actually have a chance. He isn’t just counting on Cubs fans, but those other passionate fanbases too.
“If you ask Red Sox fans, they’ll say, ‘Hey, that guy was a stud for us in the World Series. We love him in Boston.’” Dunigan said. “Braves fans think, ‘That guy needs to our next manager.’ Cubs fans think he’s the heart of the team.”
That last part isn’t far off. Ross has been nicknamed Grandpa Rossy by his young Cubs teammates. Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant made @grandparossy_3 Instagram account to chronicle his final season.
Jason Heyward, the new Cubs outfielder who played with Ross in Atlanta, paid to upgrade Ross to a suite for every road trip this season as a way of showing his appreciation.
So, for Dunigan this checks all the boxes — good story, good guy, lots of potential voters. Plus, baseball already has a requisite for All-Star chaos. Remember last year when Kansas City Royals fans feverishly stuffed the ballots trying to make their entire team the AL starting lineup?
“If you’re going to have fanbases hijack all eight positions like the Royals almost did last year, why not let a guy like David Ross into the All-Star game?” Dunigan said. “When fans are allowed to vote, things like this can happen and take traction.”
One problem: the MLB All-Star determines home-field advantage in the World Series. Dunigan has never been a fan of that rule, and in this case, he knows some fans will take All-Star voting too seriously to get involved.
Another hurdle: As a backup catcher, Ross isn’t one of the choices on the ballot. Fans can certainly write him in. The system allows for that. But it’s one more step to overcome in mobilizing the vote.
So far, that’s meant a #WriteInRoss hashtag on Twitter. Maybe that could work to show that Ross is even more of an underdog. Or maybe it might make this entire plight too difficult.
 | @RossAsg16 | |
Make your voice heard #WriteInRoss for the 2016 @AllStarGame!
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Dunigan’s well aware this is a long shot. Even if it doesn’t, he thinks it’ll be fun. But if it does work?
“To see a 39-year-old journeyman starting the All-Star game, catching Arrieta or Kershaw or whoever happens to starts,” Dunigan said, “you can’t say that’s not going to be a cool moment.”
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