Ross Planning Revenge For "The Shredder" Nick Punto
BOSTON (CBS) – After bashing a walk-off homer on Thursday night, it took the cheerful Cody Ross a little extra time to wind down from an emotional win.
That, and recover from his teammates congratulating him at home plate.
"I felt everybody," Ross said of the home plate celebration after he propelled the Red Sox to a 3-1 win over the White Sox. "I have bruises all over the place today. But it was well worth it."
Ross Planning His Revenge:
Along with the bumps and bruises, Ross is also down a jersey. When he hit home, teammate Nick Punto – nicknamed "The Shredder" for yanking off teammates jerseys in celebration – was waiting.
"He was on base, so he was closest to the plate and he was the first person I saw," Ross recalled. "But once he went for it, everyone went for it."
Read: 'No Better Feeling' For Ross After Walk-Off
Ross now has a list of teammates he has to get back at, eventually.
"I'm going to wait until he hits a walk-off and I'm going to shred him," he said of Punto. "But I'm not going to leave the undershirt."
Also in on the fun was reliever Alfredo Aceves, who delivered a PowerAde bath as Ross hit home. Also in on the fun was the injured John Lackey, who likely won't pitch this season, but was still out there showing his support.
"He's still out there cheering and rooting, being a good teammate. And I won't forget it," said Ross.
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Ross told WBZ-TV's Dan Roche he plans on keeping the jersey, which has seen better days. Aside from the rips and tears, there is a nice collection of blue stains courtesy of Aceves.
After the game, Ross said he received over 60 text messages about the homer. But he told reporters he has put Thursday night's heroics behind him and is focusing on Friday night's tilt against the Blue Jays.
"I'm over it; I'm focusing on tonight. You have to take the good with the good and the bad with the bad," said Ross. "After a tough game you want to bounce back and play well, and after a good game you want to do the same."
Read: Red Sox-Blue Jays Preview
Ross was asked prior to Thursday night's game if he expected to repeat his Wednesday night performance, when he smacked a pair of three-run round trippers. Ross thought it was a dumb question at the time, but joked about it after the game.
So, very fittingly, he was asked if he would have another walk-off on Friday.
"We'll see," he said with a chuckle. "I'm going to go up there and give it my best effort."
