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Ross reduced to tears by Arrieta's post-no-no text

David Kohl / USA TODAY Sports / Reuters

Amid the euphoria that followed his second career no-hitter, undoubtedly one of his greatest nights ever in a baseball uniform, Chicago Cubs ace Jake Arrieta wasn't thinking so much about himself.

The reigning National League Cy Young award winner was just happy for his beloved batterymate, David Ross, who got to check off "Catch a No-Hitter" from his to-do list in the 15th and final year of his meandering career. According to Arrieta's wife, Brittany, the first text he sent her after dismantling the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on Thursday read: "Did it for Rossy."

The message, Ross said via Twitter, reduced him to tears.

Though Arrieta will end up the trivia answer, it was Ross - the grey-bearded 39-year-old known affectionately as "Grandpa Rossy" - who was most celebrated after the 16-0 drubbing, getting doused in the dugout in lieu of the right-hander before being invited to sit in on Arrieta's post-game press conference. (He didn't want to field any questions, though; he just wanted a picture for his scrapbook).

"I'm on cloud nine," Ross said. "As a catcher and a guy who prides himself on calling a game, it’s one of those things I really wanted to do. Or be a part of ... I didn’t do a whole lot. That animal was in control the whole time."

Still, the light-hitting catcher would've rather seen Arrieta throw a no-hitter on a night he didn't go 2-for-4 while smacking just his second home run in the last two years.

"My good offense gets overshadowed by a no-hitter," Ross joked. "I'm kind of mad at him."

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