Unlikely star Ross earns MVP honor

— Cody Ross joked it was easy for San Francisco Giants fans to chant “Cody! Cody!” during his stellar postseason because his name was only two syllables.

After the National League championship series, they can shout three letters.

“M-V-P!”

Ross went from baseball’s scrap heap to the top of the heap, landing there as one of the Giants’ most unlikely postseason stars. He was Cody in the Clutch in the National League Championship Series and was selected MVP after the Gaints beat the Philadelphia Phillies 3-2 on Saturday night to advance to their first World Series since 2002.

Acquired Aug. 22 from the Florida Marlins on a waiver claim, Ross was unsure of his role in a crowded outfield rotation. He found his way into the lineup, then hit .350 with six extra-base hits and will take his spot in right field for Game 1 of the World Series on Wednesday night in San Francisco.

Ross was a surprising power source for the Giants, hitting their first three home runs in the series. He went deep twice off Phillies ace Roy Halladay in Game 1 and added a home run off Roy Oswalt in Game 2. He hit an RBI single in Game 3 to break a scoreless tie.

In the series clincher, he doubled off Oswalt to extend a sizzling extra-base hit stretch.

Ross once dreamed of a dangerous career as a rodeo clown, the person who lures the bulls away from fallen riders to protect them from thebucking animals. Ross said he might one day get in the rodeo business and buy some bulls of his own.

First, though, he has to help rope in the Texas Rangers if he wants to lead the Giants to their first World Series title since 1954, when they were the New York Giants.

Unwanted by the Marlins, Ross hit three home runs in 33 games with the Giants. He started strong in the National League division series against Atlanta, going 4 for 14 with 1 home run and 3 RBI in the 4 games against the Atlanta Braves.

He kept it going in the NLCS.

He was steady at the plate against Philadelphia’s Big 3 of Halladay, Oswalt and Cole Hamels and leads all players in this year’s postseason with five go-ahead RBI. His 6 extra-base hits (3 home runs, 3 doubles) put him second in NLCS history behind Atlanta’s Javier Lopez, who had seven in 1996.

San Francisco’s Will Clark in 1989 and Los Angeles’ Steve Garvey in 1978 also had six.

World Series glance WEDNESDAY, OCT. 27 Texas at San Francisco, 6:57 p.m.

THURSDAY, OCT. 28 Texas at San Francisco, 6:57 p.m.

SATURDAY, OCT. 30 San Francisco at Texas, 5:57 p.m.

SUNDAY, OCT. 31 San Francisco at Texas, 7:20 p.m.

MONDAY, NOV. 1 San Francisco at Texas, if necessary, 6:57 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 3 Texas at San Francisco, if necessary, 6:57 p.m.

THURSDAY, NOV. 4 Texas at San Francisco, if necessary, 6:57 p.m.

Sports, Pages 25 on 10/24/2010

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