Behind The ScenesMLB

Exchange students: DWTS finalists Arnold, ESPN’s Ross teach each other

EDITOR’S NOTE: Watch David Ross and Lindsay Arnold on Dancing with the Stars’ two-night season finale which begins tonight at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Behind every great athlete, there’s usually a great coach. Two-time World Series champion and ESPN MLB analyst David Ross obviously had great coaches during his baseball career, but who would have thought he’d have a great dance coach, too?

As a finalist on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, Ross partners with professional dancer Lindsay Arnold. She is no stranger to pairing with professional athletes for the competition. (She also worked with boxer Victor Ortiz and NFL star Calvin Johnson Jr. in past DWTS seasons.)

Front Row caught up with Arnold to ask her about working with former Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox catcher Ross.

David Ross on having Arnold as partner

“It was fun to have her at my first game as an ESPN broadcaster. I have enjoyed showing her different areas of my life. She is part of my family now, and I’m constantly trying to increase her knowledge of baseball like she has for me about dance.”

You watched David make his debut as an ESPN MLB analyst last week. How was that experience?
I’ve completely taken him out of his comfort zone on Dancing with the Stars, so it was so cool to step onto his stomping grounds and really see him do his thing. I think he was really happy to get out and talk baseball, but of course, I couldn’t let him do that without me, so I had to kind of crash the party and pretend like I knew what I was talking about.

Do you and David talk baseball in between dance rehearsals?
I started off the show with pretty much no knowledge of baseball but since then have learned a lot because David has basically been like, “OK you’re teaching me how to dance, so I’m going to show you the ropes on baseball.” So it’s been a fair trade.

How did David teach you baseball?
During rehearsals, he would go back and forth talking baseball with some of the crew members, and I would look like a lost child because I wasn’t familiar with some of the baseball terminology but wanted to join in.

One day, he sat me down and walked me through it and some of the terms. It was like a guessing game and over the season, I would ask him baseball questions, and he would fill me in.

How has the experience been working with David?
David is the best teammate you could ever want. I’m lucky because he knows what it’s like is to be on a team and understands how to work with others. He came into the competition with such a great attitude, and we have a lot of fun together.

EDITOR’S NOTE: David Ross’ next scheduled assignment as an ESPN MLB analyst is slated for the New York Yankees-Baltimore Orioles telecast on Memorial Day, Monday, May 29 (1:05 p.m. ET, ESPN).

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