March 07--MESA, Ariz. -- David Ross has gained experience from playing for the likes of Bruce Bochy, Dusty Baker and Bobby Cox.
And it wouldn't surprise former teammate Jake Peavy if Ross -- who has made an impact in a short time as the Chicago Cubs' backup catcher -- pursues a managing career when his playing days end.
"David Ross can manage in the big leagues right now and do as well as managers in the game with experience," said Peavy, who compared Ross' baseball intelligence to that of Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddox. "Simply because every night he managed the game in his head. We'd sit on the bench almost every night in Boston, and afterword we'd be sitting in the room, talking about the game.
"David will be able to hand-pick his job in the game."
Ross, 37, didn't rule out a job in managing in the future.
"I love being around this game," said Ross, who started his playing career in 2002 and currently is signed through 2016. "It would be a lot of fun to try to do something like that (managing). You'd be dumb not to do something like that, but right now I'm focused on playing and trying to help this team win."
Ross is a realist when assessing what's left of his playing days.
"I'm not sure there's too much left," Ross said. "It will depend on how my body feels and what kind of performance I'm able to put on the field. I don't want to go out there just to collect a pay check and stink. I want to help the team win in a way I can to put the best of me on the field."
