NLCS MVP Ross recalls Halladay
PEORIA, Ariz. — Four months ago Wednesday, baseball mourned retired pitcher Roy Halladay, who died when his light plane crashed off the coast of Florida in November. No Giants fan could hear that news without thinking about Cody Ross.
The players are inexorably linked by the two homers that Ross hit in consecutive at-bats against Halladay in Game 1 of the 2010 National League Championship Series, a 4-3 Giants victory in Philadelphia.
Ross, who is in Giants camp this spring as a special instructor, offered condolences to the Halladay family Thursday. He said he and Halladay did not cross paths after that series, but if they had Ross would have brought up a different encounter from the same season: Halladay’s May 29 perfect game against the Marlins.
“That was one of the most incredible things I’ve been part of, and I was on the wrong side of it,” said Ross, whom the Giants acquired from the Marlins via waivers in August of that year. “That’s just how dominant he was. Every single game he pitched, he had the opportunity to do that.”
Halladay also no-hit the Reds in Game 1 of a Division Series sweep that season to put the Phillies in the NLCS.
Ross, the NLCS MVP, did not remember what he did in his three at-bats against Halladay in the perfect game. He grounded out twice and hit a popup.
“When I hear his name, I still think of him as the toughest pitcher I’ve ever faced or seen,” Ross said. “I never faced Nolan Ryan. I didn’t get to face some of these older guys. But he was just as good as anybody I’ve ever seen, or better.”
The former outfielder considers it a “big honor” to be linked to Halladay, especially because he hit the homers in what he termed “one of those magical years” for the pitcher.
“I’d never seen anybody that focused and that determined. Ever. And I’m not just saying that because of the situation. I’ve said that since that day,” he said.
Ross, 37, lives in Arizona and said he has no desire to return to baseball full-time, with three children under 12 at home. In fact, he plans to cut back on travel from last season, when he flew to San Francisco as a guest coach. Cueto sharp: Johnny Cueto shimmied and quick-pitched his heart out in his second spring start Thursday night in three shutout innings against the Mariners. Asked if those innings were in midseason form, Cueto smiled and said, “We’re still working on it. I’ve got two or three more outings to go.”
Cueto might struggle to convince Seattle hitters he needed to work on anything after after he struck out five and allowed two weak singles. His mixed a live fastball with offspeed pitches so good he surprised himself. The Mariners flailed at his out pitch, the changeup, which often deserted him in 2017.
Even though Cueto is one start behind after the team gave him extra time to recover from an illness, he is better off than this time last spring, when his father’s serious illness kept him in the Dominican Republic until early March.
“I feel more relaxed,” Cueto said through interpreter Erwin Higueros. “The main thing this year, all my family members are healthy. Now I can concentrate on pitching.” Whole group: Manager Bruce Bochy expects the entire regular lineup, including Buster Posey, to start Friday’s home game against Seattle. Jeff Samardzija makes his third start.