Carlos Ruiz (baseball)

Carlos Ruiz
Philadelphia Phillies – No. 51
Catcher
Bats: Right Throws: Right
debut
May 6, 2006, for the Philadelphia Phillies
Career statistics (through August 25, 2009)
Batting average	.240
Home runs	21
Runs batted in	127
Teams
Philadelphia Phillies (2006-present)
Career highlights and awards
World Series champion (2008)

Carlos Joaquín Ruiz (born January 22, 1979), nicknamed Chooch the Flamin' Panamanian , is the starting catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Minor leagues

In 2004, Ruiz spent his entire season with the Double-A Reading Phillies, where his 17 home runs were second among catchers in the Eastern League. He also had a season-best 10-game hitting streak in July and hit .343 (23-67) over his final 17 games. He played in the developmental Arizona Fall League as well.

Ruiz warming up in the bullpen

In 2005, Ruiz batted .300 in 100 games (347 AB) with 25 doubles, 30 walks, and 4 home runs. In 2006 before his callup, Ruiz was batting .385 with an on-base percentage of .448, including 5 doubles and 6 home runs in 91 at-bats. He also participated in the 2006 inaugural World Baseball Classic, playing for Panama.

Major leagues

Ruiz was called up to the Phillies in May 2006, and played in 27 games that year.

The Phillies signed Rod Barajas before the 2007 season because they had some concerns about Ruiz' ability to catch, hit, and generally hold up over a full season at the major league level; however, those concerns were dispelled. Barajas' injury left an opening for backup Chris Coste on the Phillies' roster, but Ruiz played 115 games in 2007. After Barajas left for Toronto in 2008, Ruiz sat atop the depth chart at catcher and played in 117 games for the Phillies helping them win their second straight NL East title.

In 2007, Ruiz hit six home runs and compiled a .259 batting average. He had one of the highest fielding percentages in baseball among catchers with a .997, with only 2 errors in 744 chances. On June 26, 2007, Ruiz stole home on the front end of a double steal in an 11-4 home win over the Cincinnati Reds, becoming the first Phillie to steal home in 10 years and the first Phillies catcher to steal home in 25 years.

On October 25, 2008, in Game 3 of the 2008 World Series, Ruiz hit his first postseason home run off Tampa Bay Rays' pitcher Matt Garza at Citizens Bank Park. In the ninth inning, he recorded a walk-off single, sending Eric Bruntlett home from third, becoming the fourth National League player to hit a bases-loaded walk-off hit in World Series history, the first to deliver a walk-off infield hit, and the first walk-off of any kind by a Phillies player in the World Series.

Honors

Ruiz was selected to the 2007 Topps Major League Rookie All-Star Team. The selection was the result of the 49th annual Topps balloting of major league managers.

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference