Skip to main content

Fans Will Support Chooch, But Legacy Now Tainted

By now, you've heard about the drug suspension imposed upon Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz earlier this week.  Following a second positive test for amphetamines, the 33-year-old Panama native will miss the first 25 games of the 2013 regular season.

Following the news, Ruiz issued a statement to apologize to his team as well as the fans.  The Phillies also went public, stating that they were disappointed, but would continue to support their player.  Both of those are typical and were expected.  Also a sure thing are Philadelphia baseball fans' reactions to Ruiz upon his return.  The man they call "Chooch" is an individual that has accomplished a great amount while wearing Phils' red.  The "home grown" player has caught no-hitters.  He has become an All-Star.  He helped lock down a World Series championship and five consecutive division titles.  Philly faithful will absolutely continue to have their guy's back when he gets back on the field.

Not too long ago, reliever J.C. Romero, who notched two wins in the 2008 World Series for the Phillies, consumed a banned substance in the form of a supplement purchased from a vitamin chain store, due to an oversight by the manufacturer.  He was subsequently suspended for 50 games.  Upon his return, fans happily welcomed Romero back.  But, as quickly as Romero became a solid bullpen arm, his production fell off and the adoration of the Citizens Bank Park crowds was no longer there.  Romero became just another guy who took something he wasn't supposed to and had some success with it.  While Romero came and went, he's no Chooch, who was probably a guy that could never do any wrong in the eyes of Phillies fans.

Fans will swoon in late April when Ruiz suits up to play.  There is no question about that.  But what about when the day comes that Ruiz is done being an excellent on-field contributor?

On a recent edition of the PhoulBallz Minor League Podcast, I asserted how strongly I felt about Ruiz's place in organization history, stating that "Chooch is going to be on that Phillies Wall of Fame one day and it's going to be one of the most deserving guys ever."  I added, "Aside from the guys that are in the (Baseball) Hall of Fame, like Whitey Ashburn and Mike Schmidt, Grover Cleveland Alexander, I think Chooch is going to be one of the most deserving guys added to that wall ever."

I may need to take that back.  I stand among the lifelong integrity-focused baseball fans and esteem oriented media types who assert that players who used performance enhancing drugs should not be presented with historical honors or have their names placed among the greatest of all time.  Even if such a distinction is team specific, that same outlook should hold true.

Adderall, the drug which presented the problem for Ruiz, is a substance that many big leaguers are granted somewhat of a pass for, as part of the Therapeutic Use Exemption in Major League Baseball's drug policy.  There are many dozens of big leaguers currently using the drug.  Ruiz was not among those that did it legally.  I fear this off-field error will be damaging to Ruiz's legacy, which previously seemed to be among the most elite in the team's history.

___________________________________________________________

You can follow PhoulBallz on Twitter by clicking HERE.

You can also connect with PhoulBallz on Facebook by clicking HERE.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Diekman a Late Addition to Mesa AFL Roster

On Wednesday, Phillies lefty pitching prospect Jacob Diekman made his Arizona Fall League debut. Diekman, who was drafted in the 30th round of the 2007 amateur draft, was assigned to Mesa late, in order to increase his 2010 innings total, according to Mesa hitting coach Mark Parent, who managed Diekman in Lakewood this past season. Diekman, 23, posted a 2-0 record with 1.90 ERA in 21 games with Class A Lakewood before being promoted to High-A Clearwater on June 24th. In 24 games with the Threshers, Diekman went 0-2 with a 3.66 ERA. Combined, Diekman tossed 55 2/3 innings and held opponents to a .187 batting average against at two levels in 2010. However, after not pitching in an official game since he threw a shutout inning to wrap up the Clearwater season on September 5th, Diekman was unable to record an out as all seven batters he faced reached base, six with hits, one on an error. Diekman was charged with 5 earned runs in the outing. Diekman had spent time at instructional ball from

2022 Phillies Top Prospects Countdown: #24 RHP Cristian Hernandez

Venezuelan born right-hander Cristian Hernandez has begun to earn recognition as one of the Phillies most promising pitching prospects. Signed as a 16-year-old in 2017 for a reported $120,000, Hernandez got his professional career started the following summer as a starter for the Phillies' Red Dominican Summer League club.  There, in 13 starts, Hernandez tallied a 2-3 record with 2.57 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP as well as a 7.0 K/9 mark. An injury sidelined Hernandez in 2019 and the 2020 season was cancelled due to the global pandemic. In 2021, Hernandez saw his first regular season action in the United States, starting his season in Florida Complex League.  After two appearances there, the six-foot-three 185-pounder was promoted to the Class A Clearwater Threshers.  In 20 combined outings (17 starts), Hernandez notched a 2-7 record with a 3.57 ERA, a .228 batting average against and an 11.2 K/9 mark. Projectability is something that baseball folks like about Hernandez.  His size, consistent

Who is Your Favorite Willie 'Mays' Hayes?

PhoulBallz.com is wondering which individual who has portrayed Willie "Mays" Hayes is the favorite of the public. Hayes, of course, is the character made famous in the Major League motion picture series. In Major League , Willie "Mays" Hayes was portrayed by budding Hollywood actor Wesley Snipes, who would go on to action movie superstardom. Snipes has starred in major motion pictures like the Blade trilogy, Passenger 57 , Undisputed and many more. Snipes remains an impact Hollywood actor, despite legal troubles related to income tax evasion. Snipes was replaced for the sequel, Major League II when his busy career, and possibly the film's budget, would not allow him to return, by Omar Epps. Another budding actor, Epps had previously worked with director David S. Ward, on the film The Program , and landed the role of Hayes, who had become a Hollywood action star over the off-season that occured between the two films. Epps' career portraying athletes rolle