Carlos Ruiz: An Original BlueClaw
He didn’t play in the first BlueClaws game, April 5, 2001 at Kannapolis, but he played in the second. In light of his big three-run home run last night in game one of the NLCS, let’s look back at Carlos Ruiz, an original Lakewood BlueClaw.
- Ruiz hit .261 as a 22-year old in 2001 with Lakewood, and worked his way up the system, spending two years with Reading and two more with then AAA-Scranton before debuting with the Phillies in 2006.
- Also did not play in the first game at what was then called GPU Energy Park, but went 2-4 with 4 RBIs in a seven-inning game on April 12th. The 4 RBIs was a team record until broken in 2002.
- The first game at GPU Energy Park was suspended on 4/11/01 and resumed on 4/12 before they played the regularly-scheduled game, and 11-1 BlueClaws win over Hickory.
- In that game, he caught the first (of three) BlueClaws no hitters, as Keith Bucktrot allowed an unearned run in the seventh inning.
- Bucktrot was perfect into the 6th (Lakewood made an error then) and he did not walk anyone or hit anyone as part of that no-hitter. Then-GM Ed Wade and about 30 other Phillies front office employees were in attendance.
- The 2001 BlueClaws, managed by Greg Legg, had four players reach the big leagues: Ruiz, Taylor Buchholz, Robinson Tejeda, and Yoel Hernandez.
As for his home run last night, “He got up in the count, 3 and 1,” Phils manager Charlie Manuel said. “That’s what hitting is.”
(AP photo)
Other baseball players from Panama include Mariano Rivera, Carlos Lee, Manny Corpas, Roberto Kelly, Carlos Maldonado, Ramiro Mendoza and Bruce Chen (yes, that Bruce Chen, he was born there).
Share This Post!
