According to fellow members of the Pioneer era, Anthony Ross was one of the best left fielders who ever played the game. He had two abilities that gave him one of the deadliest arms of his era, he would spin in the air as he made the catch so he was ready to throw when he landed, and he had long arms that generated a lot of power. These two factors surprised a lot of base runners looking to stretch a single into a double or score on a long fly ball. A graduate of Hirsch High School and a resident of the Grand Crossing area of Chicago, Anthony’s long arms also made him an excellent line drive “place” hitter. He usually batted third or forth in the lineup and could be counted on to drive in runs when needed. From the late 30s to the early 50s (with timeout to fight in World War II where he was stationed in Iceland), he played for some of the top teams of his time, including Mel Turner’s, Bondi’s, Ace Steel, Nudo’s, Slo Freighters, Brown’s, and Chicago Merchants. His love of the game showed as he played Monday through Friday, on Sundays in tournaments, and in money games at some of the great stadiums and against some of the great teams and players of his time. He will always be remembered as one of the great ambassadors of the game. He was in the restaurant business for much of his adult life as a partner in the Ranch House at 123rd and Halsted and in Jonathan Livingston Seafood in Naperville. After retirement, he became the head of maintenance for Brookwood Towers, a condominium complex in suburban Wooddale. Anthony Ross passed away on February 28th, 2001. He leaves behind his wife, Geraldine, and two children, Jim.
