Ruiz, Quietly Making His Mark
Fans chant his name every time he comes to the plate, and he is undoubtedly a fan favorite. Still, Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz, better known as Chooch, does not get the credit he deserves. Last year Ruiz had his best year offensively. He led the Phils in batting with a .302 average and also contributed 8 HR and 53 RBI’s. While guys like Howard, Utley, Victorino, and Rollins all struggled at the plate, Ruiz consistently batted right around .300 all year and picked up the slack for the Phils offensively. Ruiz also contributed defensively last year by gunning down runners left and right. Ruiz seemed to take it personal if you tried to steal on him, and would fire a frozen rope to second base within the blink of an eye. Ruiz not only has the ability to gun out runners trying to steal, but he is also very good at calling games for the pitchers. He knows what pitch to call at the right time. Ruiz is the perfect guy for this pitching staff because he has experience with all these guys including Cliff Lee. He knows what they like to throw in certain situations and he knows how to get the most out of everyone. He may be quiet, but he's one of best players on the Phils and probably one of the most under rated players in all of baseball. I think this season Ruiz is really going to come into his own as a big league catcher. He is proving that he can get it done offensively and defensively and is quickly becoming one of the best catchers in the MLB. So let's give it up for Chooch, the most underrated and most underappreciated player on the Phillies.
Fans chant his name every time he comes to the plate, and he is undoubtedly a fan favorite. Still, Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz, better known as Chooch, does not get the credit he deserves. Last year Ruiz had his best year offensively. He led the Phils in batting with a .302 average and also contributed 8 HR and 53 RBI’s. While guys like Howard, Utley, Victorino, and Rollins all struggled at the plate, Ruiz consistently batted right around .300 all year and picked up the slack for the Phils offensively. Ruiz also contributed defensively last year by gunning down runners left and right. Ruiz seemed to take it personal if you tried to steal on him, and would fire a frozen rope to second base within the blink of an eye. Ruiz not only has the ability to gun out runners trying to steal, but he is also very good at calling games for the pitchers. He knows what pitch to call at the right time. Ruiz is the perfect guy for this pitching staff because he has experience with all these guys including Cliff Lee. He knows what they like to throw in certain situations and he knows how to get the most out of everyone. He may be quiet, but he's one of best players on the Phils and probably one of the most under rated players in all of baseball. I think this season Ruiz is really going to come into his own as a big league catcher. He is proving that he can get it done offensively and defensively and is quickly becoming one of the best catchers in the MLB. So let's give it up for Chooch, the most underrated and most underappreciated player on the Phillies. 
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