Carlos Joaquín Ruiz , nicknamed Chooch, is the starting catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies. 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 over his final 17 games. He played in the developmental Arizona Fall League as well. In 2005, Ruiz batted .300 in 100 games 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. 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.
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| Birthdate: | January 22, 1979 |
| Birthplace: | David, Panama |
| Age: | 33 |
| All Positions Played: | Catcher |