NM Governor Declares Today Cody Ross Day In Honor Of World Series Player From Carlsbad

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson issued a proclamation today declaring Wednesday, Oct. 27 as “Cody Ross Day” throughout the State of New Mexico .

Ross, a Carlsbad native and the starting right-fielder for the San Francisco Giants, will start tonight’s World Series Game 1 against the Texas Rangers. Ross was named MVP of the National League Championship Series.

WHEREAS, Cody Ross is well known for crushing his home runs over 400 feet at the Cavemen Corral, the Carlsbad High ballpark where he played for four years, graduating in 1999, and is notorious for hitting the ball through a chain-link fence; and

WHEREAS, Cody joined the Carlsbad Cavemen Baseball Team where he broke the Freshman record for home runs, with six, which was the old mark was set by Shane Andrews, a former Major Leaguer and a prodigious long-ball hitter; and

WHEREAS, Cody was a coachable player and learned to perfect and strengthen his swing with dedication and an open ear to his coaches; and

WHEREAS, as a Junior Cody led the Cavemen to a State Championship in 1998, pitching and hitting, and belted 11 home runs his Senior year, which attracted 28 Major League scouts at one game; and

WHEREAS, Cavemen Head Coach, Tom Forni has led the team to 6 State Championships and 19 District Titles and has produced 3 Major League players in just over 20 years; first came Shane Andrews, a 3rd baseman who was signed by the Montreal Expos in 1995 and wound up hitting 86 home runs in a career that ended in 2002; then came Paxton Crawford, a pitcher who won 5 games for the Boston Red Sox during the 2000 and 2001seasons; Cody, however, is the only one of the three who has performed in the MLB Postseason, who will dress-out for a World Series, and not counting his playoff heroics, Cody has hit the same number of homers as Andrews; and

WHEREAS, the Detroit Tigers drafted Cody in the 4th round in 1999 and he made his debut on Independence Day of 2003; and

WHEREAS, Cody was named the 2003 Detroit Tigers Minor League Player of the Year; was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers where he played from 2005-2006; played for the Cincinnati Reds for short time in 2006; was traded to the Florida Marlins in 2006, where he established himself as a clutch hitter; and in 2010 was placed on waivers and picked up by the San Francisco Giants; and

WHEREAS, Cody has had a dream postseason, being named MVP of the National League Series with seven key hits, and will represent the San Francisco Giants in Right Field at AT&T Park in Game 1 of the World Series on Wednesday, October 27, 2010; and

WHEREAS, Cody will feel the support of his wife, Summer, his two children, his parents, Kenny and Janet Ross, his three siblings, the City of Carlsbad, and the State of New Mexico;

NOW, THEREFORE I, Bill Richardson, Governor of the State of New Mexico , do hereby proclaim October 27, 2010 as: “Cody Ross Day” throughout the State of New Mexico .

Source: New Mexico Governor’s Office.