He’s already got a World Series ring, and now, Cubs catcher David Ross is pursuing that other most elusive (and equally sparkly) symbol of a championship win: The “Dancing with the Stars” mirrorball trophy.
The cast for the news season of the hit ABC reality show was announced today and Ross is now officially headed to the ballroom to compete against such celebs as Mr. T, Chris Kattan, Charo, “The Bachelor” star Nick Viall and former Olympic star Nancy Kerrigan. Ross becomes the first professional baseball player to compete on the show, which has famously featured stars of the NFL, NBA, hockey, and the Olympics.
Via satellite from spring training, Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo congratulated his former teammate saying, “Can’t wait to see those hips move! Good luck!” A laughing Ross didn’t miss a beat, replying about Rizzo, “He’s the twerker!”
Ross’ book, “Teammate: My Journey in Baseball and a World Series for the Ages,” is due out in May.
Ross will be partnered with pro dancer Lindsay Arnold. The new season premieres March 20 on ABC.
You may recall, Ross showed off some of his dancing prowess on “Saturday Night Live” last fall.
Here’s the entire celebrity cast for season 24 of “DWTS” and their pro partners:
—Four-time Olympic gold medalist gymnast Simone Biles, with Sasha Farber
—Professional bull rider/model Bonner Bolton, with Sharna Burgess
—Television celebrity Charo, with Keo Motsepe
—“SNL” veteran Chris Kattan, with Witney Carson
—Two-time World Series champion David Ross, with Lindsay Arnold
—“Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Erika Jayne, with Gleb Savchenko
—“Glee” star Heather Morris, with Maksim Chmerkovskiy
—“The A Team” star and former pro wrestler Mr. T, with Kym Herjavec
—Olympic champion skater Nancy Kerrigan, with Artem Chigvintsev
—Fifth Harmony singer Normani Kordei, with Valentin Chmerkovskiy
—Former New York Giants NFL running back Rashad Jennings, with Emma Slater
—“The Bachelor” star Nick Viall, with Peta Murgatroyd
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Biles’ Olympic teammate Laurie Hernandez won the show’s dancing championship last season. Morris at one time was a backup dancer for Beyonce. Chicagoan Mr. T also starred as boxer Clubber Lang in “Rocky III” and is a member of the Wrestling Hall of Fame (and known also for his 1987 infamous Lake Forest tree trimming incident). Bolton was temporarily paralyzed last year following an injury during a riding competition; he recovered after successful spine surgery. Through Jennings’ educational foundation more than 30,000 children read over 167,000 books last year.
This season also marks the return of fan-favorite pros Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Peta Murgatroyd and Kym Johnson Herjavec. Chmerkovsy and Murgatroyd welcomed their first child in January. Johnson married her former “DWTS” celebrity partner (and “Shark Tank” star) Robert Herjavec in 2016.
