Robin Ventura treated David Ross to his first private plane ride and gave him a greater appreciation for tri-tip steak.
But the greatest gifts Ventura provided Ross were how to be a good player and teammate.
"The mentor of all mentors," Ross said.
Ross and Ventura, who were teammates with the Dodgers in 2003-04, will cross paths on a baseball field for perhaps the final time when Ross' Cubs face Ventura's White Sox in the City Series.
This marks the final season for Ross, 39, who plans to retire after this year but credits Ventura, the 49-year-old Sox manager, for grooming him as a major-league player when they were at different career points.