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Dad of Nationals’ Joe Ross saves fan with Heimlich at Giants game

The Washington Nationals' Joe Ross delivers a pitch against the Dodgers on July 4, 2021, in Washington.
Willie Ross — the father of big league pitchers Joe Ross, above, of the Washington Nationals and Tyson Ross of the Texas Rangers organization — made a crucial save at a game Saturday in San Francisco.
(Nick Wass / Associated Press)
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Father to a pair of big league starting pitchers, Willie Ross made a crucial save at a ballgame in San Francisco on Saturday.

Ross, dad of veteran pitchers Joe and Tyson Ross, performed the Heimlich maneuver on a choking fan during a game between the Giants and Washington Nationals, dislodging bits of a hot dog to clear the woman’s airway.

Ross is a pediatrician at Stanford Hospital. He was at the park to see Washington, for whom Joe Ross plays. Tyson Ross is a right-hander with the Texas Rangers organization.

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The Dodgers’ Walker Buehler and Justin Turner have been added to the NL roster for All-Star game, while Mookie Betts will sit out because of an injury.

Willie Ross was watching the game in a lower box when he noticed the female fan choking. Relying on his training in ER medicine, Ross hustled over to check on the fan, who was unable to talk. He helped dislodge the food that was trapped in the woman’s throat and was cheered by fans sitting nearby.

Police and paramedics eventually came down to check on the woman, who was able to stay for the rest of the game. The fan was a nurse and had recently retired.

The Giants won the game 10-4.

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