Philadelphia Phillies: The Legacy of Carlos Ruiz

Last night Carlos Ruiz accomplished a feat that has only been done by two other catchers in Philadelphia Phillies history by playing in his 1,000^th game.

As he enters the twilight of his career, some fans understate the importance of Carlos Ruiz to the success of the Philadelphia Phillies. But, don’t be mistaken he has been one of the most important Phillies to take the field day in and day out over the past decade.

Ruiz got his first cup of tea in the majors in 2006 when the Philadelphia Phillies starting catcher, Mike Lieberthal, went on the disabled list in May. He was sent back to the minors when Lieberthal was healthy in June but soon returned to hit his first major league homer on the 4^th of July. Ruiz was sent back to the minors one more time before being recalled in September, this time, Chooch was here to stay.

In 2007, Ruiz earned the starting catching role for the Philadelphia Phillies and the rest is history. Ruiz began to earn the pitching staff’s confidence over the course of that season, a trait that would ultimately define his career in Philadelphia. During that season, Ruiz only committed two errors which was second best among catchers. That show’s Ruiz’s commitment to the art of catching, a value that is understated in the game today.

More from Philadelphia Phillies

2008 was the year that Carlos Ruiz (sort of) arrived on the big stage. During the first half of the season, he struggled with the bat only hitting .206 with two homers and 20 RBI’s but Ruiz excelled in every other aspect of being a catcher in the majors. Ruiz developed a great relationship with the pitching staff which led to him having a catcher’s ERA* of 3.56. That catcher’s ERA was tops in the NL, because of the Charlie Manuel stuck with Ruiz as his starting catcher. Ruiz didn’t hit much better during the rest of the season, batting .219 with 4 home runs and 31 RBI’s but that doesn’t make 2008 a failure.

After the Philadelphia Phillies won the National League Pennate, Ruiz gave a heartfelt interview about how much that series meant to him. Winning that series inspired Ruiz as he delivered a hit that many Phillies fans will remember for the rest of their lives. In game three of the 2008 World series, Ruiz sent a dribbler down the third base line for the first ever walk-off infield single. That win put the Phillies up 2-1 in the series that they ultimately won 4-1 over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Check out the hit that earned Ruiz the nickname “Señor Octubre”:

2009 was almost a lost season for Ruiz as he missed 100 games. yet he still hit a career-high nine home runs. That would bode well for Ruiz in the playoffs as he had a .341 batting average and a .491 on-base percentage. After this postseason, the name “Señor Octubre” stuck for Ruiz.

2010 was a year to remember for Ruiz. He caught

Roy Halladay

‘s perfect game on May 29th, 2010 (video below):

which would be the top moment of the season, maybe even the careers, of most catchers. But Chooch isn’t most catchers and he helped usher the way for what is possibly the most memorable moment in recent Philadelphia Phillies history, Roy Halladay’s no-hitter to open the National League Divisional series. (see below)

2010 also marks the year that Ruiz became a complete hitter. He came in with a new swing that led to him hitting .302 with a .400 on-base percentage. In a players age, 31 season a spike like this is unheard of but Ruiz is like a fine wine that ages with grace.

From 2011-now Ruiz has played on disappointing Philadelphia Phillies teams but he goes out on the baseball diamond each night and competes. Ruiz was able to mold many young pitchers while also shouldering the offensive load for the Phillies.

2015 was a trying year for Ruiz as he lost his starting job to

Cameron Rupp

after declines in his game as he hit .211 while also struggling at framing pitches, usually one of the strongest aspects of his game. Chooch wouldn’t let the season end without gifting Phillies fans with another memory during an otherwise dismal season. In Cole Hamel’s final start for the Phillies Ruiz caught his fourth no-hitter tying him with

Jason Varitek

for the most in the modernen era.

That no-hitter exemplified what Ruiz means to the Philadelphia Phillies as well as what the championship core of the Phillies, of only Ruiz and

Ryan Howard

remain, means to the team as well as the city of Philadelphia.

Ruiz was never a top prospect. He had to fight for every chance that he got and with each chance he made the most of it. That personifies the city of Philadelphia and its working class roots. If Ruiz doesn’t represent Philadelphia, I don’t know what does.

Next: Who is Tommy Joseph?

This season, in what may be his last with the Philadelphia Phillies, Ruiz has rebounded to hit .269/.347/.448 and reclaim his starting job while also leading a top 10 pitching staff in the majors. If this happens to be Ruiz’s swan song he will leave the Philadelphia Phillies with happy memories of the good times that he has brought to the team rather than limping off into the twilight. Who know’s we may be able to see a reincarnation of “Señor Octubre” this postseason which would be a perfect end to Ruiz’s career.

*= Catchers ERA is defined as a pitcher’s ERA when throwing to a certain catcher.

Home/Philadelphia Phillies

Last night Carlos Ruiz accomplished a feat that has only been done by two other catchers in Philadelphia Phillies history by playing in his 1,000th game.

Last night Carlos Ruiz accomplished a feat that has only been done by two other catchers in Philadelphia Phillies history by playing in his 1,000^th game.