Early in life, Cody Ross decided he wanted to be a rodeo clown, adjusting his plans when his superior baseball skills became apparent.
The Detroit Tigers drafted Ross in the fourth round of the 1999 draft. After hitting .211 in six games for the Tigers in 2003, Ross didn't make another Major League appearance until 2005.
Ross hit .282 over 44 games with the Dodgers and the Reds before joining the Marlins midway through the 2006 season.
He hit .212 with 11 home runs in 91 games for the Marlins in 2006, playing over 20 games at each of the outfield postions.
Ross improved on his lackluster average in 2007, hitting .335 with 12 home runs. He was limited to only 66 games due to a lingering hamstring injury.
In 2008, Ross finally put together a whole season, hitting .260 with 22 home runs and 73 RBI in 145 games for Florida. 2009 saw Ross continue his productivity, as he hit .270 in 151 games with 24 home runs and 90 RBI.
Midway through another solid season with the Marlins, Ross was waived and picked up by the San Fransisco Giants on August 22. The Marlins simply wanted to save the money, and the Giants picked him up to prevent the San Diego Padres from acquiring him. Ross was upset by the development:
"It’s going to be tough, really tough," Ross said. "People think we’re machines and that we don’t have families and that nothing matters except going out there and getting base hits and hitting home runs but we have emotions. I have a bunch of really good friends in here including a best friend. It’s a sad day."
Ross played all three outfield positions for the Marlins, hitting .265 over five seasons with Florida. He clubbed 80 home runs and collected 297 RBI.
Ross later earned the nickname "Ross the Boss" for his hardnosed play in San Francisco through the end of 2011. He was recently awarded free agency, and is currently unsigned.