Carlos Ruiz

Early life

Ruiz grew up in David, Chiriquí, Panama, and was the oldest of three sons. His father was a police officer and his mother was an elementary school teacher. When he was seven years old, his father Joaquin was patrolling in his police jeep when a tire blew out, causing the vehicle to flip, throwing Joaquin into a ditch, and then crushing him when it fell on top of him. Just weeks before, his grandmother died of cancer. As a result, Ruiz became "the new father", starting work shortly thereafter as a laborer on a coffee farm to supplement the family income, and by age 10 was earning about US$3 per day. He also promised his widowed mother that he would make it to Major League Baseball to support the family. Subsequently, he began attending college to earn a degree in physical education, but dropped out shortly after he began to attend the Phillies baseball academy.

Ruiz's upbringing contributed to his approach to the game. His mother insisted that he excel academically, and would not allow him to play baseball unless he did well in school. Baseball was his first love, and he was responsible for organizing the community's games:

Ruiz's natural leadership skills flourished. As a boy, Ruiz, who had chosen to play with baseballs instead of toy cars even as a toddler, was always the one in his neighborhood to organize pickup baseball games. It was he who brought the balls and bats, and it was he who picked the teams and ordered everyone to their positions. He had an acute understanding of the game. Ruiz was made to lead, and playing catcher eventually suited him perfectly.

Professional career

Minor leagues

In 1998, Ruiz followed his dream of playing professional baseball first by attending the Phillies Baseball Academy in La Vega, Dominican Republic, where he played catcher for the first time, moving from his initial position of second base. Though he was ready to quit because "he looked and felt like a 10-year-old among the tall, athletic prospects surrounding him", his uncle convinced him in a phone conversation to stick with it. The Phillies' scout Allan Lewis signed him as an amateur free agent on December 4, 1998, for US$8,000, and he made his professional debut in 1999 with the Dominican Summer League (DSL) team DSL Phillies, with whom he compiled a .305 batting average, 4 home runs, and 35 runs batted in (RBIs) in 60 games. Prior to the 2000 season, Ruiz met Mick Billmeyer, the Phillies' minor league catching coordinator, who served as his mentor. Billmeyer sought to learn Spanish while Ruiz sought to learn English, and the two bonded as Billmeyer helped mold Ruiz into an eventual top prospect and ultimately a starting catcher. In 2000, he came to America, progressing to play in the Gulf Coast League (GCL) for the GCL Phillies, and hitting .277 in 38 games. He earned another promotion in 2001, playing for the Lakewood BlueClaws of Class A Minor League Baseball. In 2001, his performance was similar in quality to his first two seasons, and he was promoted to the Clearwater Threshers of Class A-Advanced, with whom he played over parts of the next two seasons. He struggled at the plate in 2002, compiling just a .213 batting average in 92 games, but hit .315 in 15 games in 2003, and that year earned another promotion.

In 2004, Ruiz spent the entire season with the Double-A Reading Phillies, posting a .284 batting average and hitting 17 home runs, the latter of which was second among catchers in the Eastern League. In addition to his strong offensive numbers, he threw out 25 of 76 attempted base stealers (32.9%). Off the field, it was in 2004 that Ruiz first gained the original form of his nickname "Chooch". Though a quiet individual, Ruiz frequently muttered "chucha" (a strong curse word in Panama) under his breath, and teammate Anderson Machado thus began to address Ruiz as "chucha", which was later shortened to "Chooch", and the nickname's usage snowballed from there. His strong performance earned him another promotion in 2005 when he played for the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons, and posted a better batting average but fewer home runs than in Reading: .300, 4 home runs, 40 RBIs in 100 games. Before the 2006 season, he played for his native Panama in the first World Baseball Classic. His final season in the minor leagues was 2006. During 100 games, he hit .307 with 16 home runs and 69 RBIs, earning International League all-star accolades. He moved back and forth between Triple-A and the major league Phillies all year long, making his MLB debut on May 6, 2006.

Philadelphia Phillies

Ruiz was first brought up to the major league level when Phillies' starting catcher Mike Lieberthal went on the DL in May 2006, and Ruiz debuted on May 6. When Lieberthal returned, Ruiz was sent back to the minors. When Lieberthal went once again on the DL in June, the Phillies used Sal Fasano and Chris Coste rather than recalling Ruiz. He was recalled on July 4, when he hit his first major league home run off San Diego Padres' pitcher Clay Hensley. He was optioned back to the minor leagues once more before his recall on August 31—essentially a September callup. Overall, with the big league club, he hit .261 with 3 home runs and 10 RBIs.

Ruiz permanently joined the Phillies' roster on opening day 2007, after eight seasons in the minor leagues. He ultimately "grabbed hold of the top job [as starting catcher] and never let go". The Phillies signed Rod Barajas before the season because of concerns about Ruiz's ability to catch, hit, and generally hold up over a full season at the major league level, as seasons there are longer than in the minor leagues. During the season, he honed his confidence and earned the trust of the Phillies' pitching staff, including veteran Jamie Moyer, who commented, "I see a real assuredness to his body language. He's not cocky or brash. He just seems very confident in what's going on." On June 26, 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 since Scott Rolen in 1997. He eventually played 115 games over the season, and from then on was the Phillies' regular starting catcher. Statistically, he committed only two errors, which tied for second-best among MLB catchers with at least 100 games played. He had 27 multi-hit games, hit 6 home runs and 51 RBIs with a .259 batting average. At the conclusion of the season, he was named to the Topps All-Star Rookie Team.

Ruiz entered the 2008 season focused predominantly on defense, specifically helping the pitcher:

... Ruiz invests himself in the pitcher's performance. He and the pitcher succeed or fail together... Everything starts with pitching. 'Hitting is nice, but working with the pitcher is my No. 1 job. ... I want to feel like we are one person.'

Ruiz struggled to hit consistently throughout the season, specifically in the first half; from the beginning of the year until July 11, he hit .206 with 2 home runs and 20 RBIs. Nevertheless, due to his rapport with the pitching staff (pitchers' earned run average when throwing to him was 3.56, the best for any catcher in the National League), and a vote of confidence from manager Charlie Manuel, he was secure in his position. In late July, he had a multi-hit game against the New York Mets, which may have helped him break out of his slump. Ultimately, during the regular season, he hit .219 with 4 home runs and 31 RBIs.

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Phillies traded Ruiz to the Los Angeles Dodgers on August 25, 2016, with cash considerations, for A. J. Ellis, Tommy Bergjans, and a player to be named later. The player to be named later turned out to be Joey Curletta. He backed up Yasmani Grandal with the Dodgers in September, appearing in 14 games and hitting .278. He was also two for four as a pinch hitter, with a two-run home run in the 2016 National League Division Series.

Seattle Mariners

Following the 2016 season, Ruiz was traded to the Mariners for pitcher Vidal Nuño. In a game against the Minnesota Twins, Ruiz pitched in the 8th inning, giving up one run and striking out Kennys Vargas for Ruiz's first career strikeout. On a July 7 game against the Oakland Athletics, while in the bullpen, he caught Nelson Cruz's 300th home run. On November 2, 2017, Ruiz elected free agency.

Player profile

Batting

Offensively, Ruiz developed from a "bottom-of-the-order hitter", to a patient hitter inclined to work the count, and finally to a hitter with solid gap-to-gap power. Ruiz has strong plate discipline that helps him draw walks and avoid strikeouts; he has almost as many walks as strikeouts over the course of his career, a rarity in the modern era of baseball. However, as his career progressed and he hit more towards the middle of the lineup, he has taken a more aggressive approach at the plate, and consequently he has struck out more often, but his home run totals have also increased. In 2014, his versatility and production at the plate encouraged his manager, Ryne Sandberg, to utilize him in various spots ranging from second through seventh in the batting order. At the prime of his career, he was among the best hitting catchers in MLB. Entering 2014, Ruiz had stolen only 16 bases over his first eight seasons; he had never been particularly fast, which initially caused his conversion from infielder to catcher, but because of his "hustle" on the basepaths, he won the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association Heart and Hustle Award in 2012.

Catching

When catching, Ruiz seeks to become "one" with the day's pitcher; he takes their successes and failures personally, refusing to blame pitchers, and accepts equal responsibility. Phillies pitchers trust Ruiz and his ability to call games, and this ability's improvement has coincided with his increased proficiency in English. Cole Hamels attributes Ruiz's prowess in calling games to astute preparation, commenting,

I think he's very aware of what the hitter is trying to do in each count. He gives you a good target. It's almost like he understands what you're thinking and he's speaking to you without saying anything. ... If a catcher can help you, it makes your job so much easier and he can do that so well.

Ruiz realizes the importance of his role with the Phillies, opining, "It's the catcher's job to bring energy and happiness to the game." Ruiz has a good throwing arm that has improved over the years; over the course of his career he has thrown out 29% of attempted base stealers, which is exactly the average percentage of baserunners thrown out by catchers.

Playing style

A Sports Illustrated piece featuring Ruiz published in July 2011 encapsulated Ruiz's role as "heart and soul" of the team:

The most silent and timid Phillie might even become—by consensus of teammates and in the words of closer Brad Lidge—"the heart and soul of this team." The player who was the runaway winner in a team poll asking Phillies whom—if they were Batman—they'd choose as their Robin, proving that his effect extends far beyond his superhero pitching staff. The player who circulated in the clubhouse asking them how their families were doing, and how their hearts and minds and bodies felt. The man who went to each player in the dugout as each game was about to start to exchange a new touch: knuckles yesterday, low-fives today, fist pounds to their hearts tomorrow, so hard that they'd yearn for his chest protector. The one who tore into them when they were lax and verbalized what team leaders Chase Utley and Halladay kept tight under wraps. The one taking charge as if he has been here forever and yet still asking questions as if he has just been called up. The most endearing player to the sold-out crowds at Citizens Bank Park every night, even when his average dips to .255, as it has this season, crossing a cultural moat that Hispanic players often can't—the Phillie whom bartender Tubby Kushner impersonates every game he attends, from uniform down to the shin guards, chest protector, mask and, yes, even cup—because fans feel like he's their little secret, their little golden nugget.

He is a favorite among Phillies fans, and crossed "a cultural moat that Hispanic players often can't" to endear himself to not only the fan base, but also his teammates. Before games, he humorously imitates teammates to help keep the team loose and relaxed, furthering his role as a leader. Overall, Ruiz "is a man who refuses to conceal his emotions", positive or negative, and serves as a constant source of encouragement and rebuke alike to his teammates.

No-hitters caught

In 2015, Ruiz tied Jason Varitek for the major-league record of most no-hitters caught, with four. Ruiz was also the first catcher since 1972 to catch two no-hitters in the same season and the first to catch a perfect game and a no-hitter in the same season. The no-hitters caught by Ruiz all came during his tenure with the Phillies:

Roy Halladay: May 29, 2010, vs Florida (the 20th perfect game in major-league history)

Roy Halladay: October 6, 2010, vs Cincinnati (the second no-hitter in major-league postseason history)

Cole Hamels, Jake Diekman, Ken Giles, and Jonathan Papelbon: September 1, 2014, vs Atlanta (the first combined no-hitter since Seattle's six-man no-hitter in 2012)

Cole Hamels: July 25, 2015, vs Chicago (NL) (the first time the Cubs had been no-hit since Sandy Koufax's perfect game in 1965)