The super sad loss of Ross the Boss

What in the name of orange-and-black high-socks is happening to my “Don’t Stop Believing”-era Giants team?

Not to say that it wasn’t expected that GM Brian Sabean was going to clean house before the 2012 baseball season. And despite the need for a more productive campaign, it still leaves fans numb to hear that World Series contributors Andres Torres and Pat Burrell were sent out the door.

But getting rid of Cody Ross? Mister-I-Feel-Like-Hitting-A-Homerun-Every-World-Series-At-Bat Cody Ross?

Now that is going to be one sad rodeo clown.

Ross the Boss—along with fellow outfielder Carlos Beltran—became one of the latest casualties of the baseball winter meetings this week.

Okay, no big shock that Beltran wasn’t brought back. He never exhibited much desire in staying in SF anyhow. But Cody Ross?

Sabean’s reasoning was that Ross wouldn’t fit in to the Giants’ “pretty much maxed out” $130 million payroll. And then commented that “with Ross, we could never get on the same page.” Kind of sounds like—even without a budget cap—Sabean never was looking to re-up the outfielder with the Mr. Clean dome in the first place. Who knows.

But being the classy guy that Ross is, he told reporters that “San Francisco will always be a home to me.” And then went on to thank Giants fans for all of their “love and support.”

Ack. The fact that he sounds so composed makes this exit sting even more.

Ross isn’t going to be the last fan fave that we will be saying bon voyage to. Eli Whiteside and Mike Fontenot could also be exiting the Giants clubhouse, but we won’t know that until the arbitration-eligibility deadline hits on Monday.

So, what’s going to happen to all those super spiffy “Ross Is Boss” t-shirts?

Message to Brian Sabean: If you even think of compromising panda ears and Timmy wigs, this little sports writer is going to have an even bigger conniption.