CHICAGO _ David Ross doesn't own many baseball records.
But he may have set an unofficial mark for standing ovations (at least seven) and curtain calls (two) in a game Sunday, the last regular-season home game of his career before he retires after whatever the Cubs do in the postseason.
The man who at 39 is so elderly in baseball years that his teammates call him "Grandpa Rossy" _ "Mostly to the media," shortstop Addison Russell said _ received perhaps the loudest roar after he hit a solo home run in the fifth inning for the first run of the Cubs' 3-1 victory against the Cardinals at Wrigley Field.
The night, it turned out, was all about respecting the elder, who reached 10 home runs for the first time since 2007.
"What a treat for a backup catcher," Ross said. "I'm overwhelmed with emotion and thoughts."
By the time Ross' night ended, with manager Joe Maddon visiting the mound to make a catching change in the seventh, standing ovations six and seven were in order _ six when Ross walked off the field after hugging Jon Lester and seven when fans demanded another curtain call.
"How about Rossy? He only cried about three times tonight," Lester said.
Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina, who stalled before each of Ross' first two at-bats so fans could extend their appreciation, clapped along with the crowd of 40,859 when Maddon removed his 15-year veteran.
Maddon said Lester suggested the idea of a mid-inning catching change to him on Saturday.
"I had to get out of there because I'm a crier too," Maddon said.
Ross smacked an offering from Carlos Martinez into the night in his second at-bat to give his team a 1-0 lead in the fifth.
After returning to the dugout, Ross performed his first curtain call when he obliged fans and backed up the dugout steps before raising his helmet.
Maddon said bench coach Dave Martinez had a feeling Ross would hit a homer. And he told Maddon as much during the game.
"It just had to happen," Maddon said.
Lester, Ross' batterymate, was nearly unhittable again, allowing no runs, three hits and striking out seven in 6 2/3 innings.
