Nationals Starting Pitcher Joe Ross Joins D.C. Grays Board of Directors

​WASHINGTON, D.C. – Washington Nationals pitcher Joe Ross is joining the board of directors of D.C. Grays Baseball, a non-profit organization devoted to supporting baseball in inner-city D.C.

Ross, 22, came to Washington in December 2014 in a trade with the San Diego Padres. He was called up to the Nationals on June 6, 2015 and went on to post a 5-5 record in 16 appearances with a 3.64 ERA. He earned a spot in the Nationals rotation for the 2016 season and has posted a 3-0 record with a 0.79 ERA to date.

“It is a thrill and an honor to welcome Joe Ross to the board of directors of D.C. Grays Baseball,” said D.C. Grays Baseball Board President Mike Barbera. “This is a wonderful demonstration of Joe’s support for baseball in our inner-city communities – especially our communities east of the Anacostia River. It is also a great example of how D.C. Grays Baseball and the Washington Nationals can work together to help revive baseball in D.C.”

Grays General Manager Antonio Scott said Ross’s presence with D.C. Grays Baseball “gives us that next-level mentorship that can trickle down to our collegiate players, which in turn will trickle down to the youth we train and develop.”

D.C. Grays Baseball, which also operates youth baseball camps and clinics in the District, recently announced it will be bringing Major League Baseball’s Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) youth baseball program to the District. The RBI program is entering its 27th year.
Ross is a native of Berkeley, Calif., and was selected by the San Diego Padres in the first round of the 2011 Major League Baseball draft out of Bishop O’Dowd High School in Oakland, Calif. He has an older brother, Tyson, who is a pitcher for the Padres. His father is a pediatrician, and his mother an emergency room nurse in Oakland. His sister, Frankie, played soccer at Portland State University.

 

Image via Twitter @natsacademy