World Series: Did You Know?

Carlos Ruiz followed up his excellent 2008 Fall Classic with another splendid performance against the Yankees the next season.

It was, however, not enough to overcome New York, or top Hideki Matsui in batting average. It's not as if Chooch didn't have a big World Series. He and his Philadelphia Phillies were up against a great New York Yankees' team.

It all started at Yankee Stadium (The second such ballpark The Bronx Bombers played in, which opened in . CC Sabathia started for the home team, and looked very good early. Ruiz was retired, part of a 1-2-3 second. Sabathia also had a 1-2-3 fifth, which again included retiring the Philadelphia catcher. Philadelphia had tacked on runs in the third and sixth. In both innings, it was second basemen Chase Utley hitting a solo home run. Would the Phillies' catcher, hitting in the ninth slot, do anything?

The Phillies had stretched their lead to 4-0, and Carlos Ruiz wanted a piece of the action. With one out, he doubled off Brian Bruney. Singles by Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino plated Chooch. It was now 5-0 and the game was in the bag. Philly didn't let up.  Ryan Howard doubled home a run, although the visiting teams' half of the frame ended as Shane Victorino (Who got the run batted in when Ruiz scored) was out at home. So, Ruiz's team was stuck at six runs. But it was more than enough.

The visiting team walked off the field, 6-1 winners. Game two had A.J. Burnett going for the Yankees. And while the Phillies scored a run off him in the second, it would be a long night for Philadelphia. Carlos Ruiz was the first batter in the third. He swung at the first pitch, but grounded out. Philly put two men on, but did not score.

In the top of the fifth, Chooch came up in a 1-1 game. He was eager to break the deadlock, so he hit a one-out double. But Burnett fanned Rollins and then got Victorino to pop out.

Hideki Matsui's sixth inning home run gave New York a 2-1 lead. The Yankees added an insurance run the next inning. By the time Carlos Ruiz came up, the Phillies needed him to do something. But, in the eighth, he faced New York's closer Mariano Rivera. He grounded out.

So it was the Yankees with a big 3-1, squaring this thing, 1-1. The Phillies' catcher was hitting .286, but his performance was off from a year ago. Hideki Matsui was on his way for The Bronx Bombers, lifting his average to .500. Ruiz and Matsui would both get better as the 2009 World Series moved on.

Game three was at Citizens Bank Park. Philadelphia got off to a great start. The scored three times in the bottom of the second. Jayson Werth got it all started with a home run. Then, with Pedro Feliz on second and only one out, Chooch drew a free pass off Andy Pettitte. Philly pitcher Cole Hamels then showed Pettitte how to bat as a pitcher. He singled on the first pitch. The bases were loaded. A bases on balls and a flyball scored two more runs.

But the good times didn't last. It was, after all, against the New York Yankees. The Bronx Bombers went to work. They scored twice in the top of the fourth. Three times in the fifth. Still another touch of home in the sixth. The Phillies suddenly had their work cut out for them.

Jayson Werth got one back with a home run to start the Philly half of the sixth. But Pettitte, who had not allowed a run from innings three to five, fanned the next two batters. Carlos Ruiz kept the inning alive with a walk. And now, Philadelphia had the tying run at the dish. Eric Bruntlett batted for the pitcher, but Pettitte got him to fly out to Nick Swisher (Whose home run had made it 6-3 for The Bronx Bombers) in right.

By the ninth, Philadelphia trailed by four runs, 8-4. Pedro Feliz grounded out to start the Phillies last hurrah. That was a big, first out, as Chooch was next. Despite the two walks earlier, Ruiz was officially 0-1. And now just 2-8 overall. So he needed to do something big, for his team and his batting average. Phil Hughes, the Yankees' pitcher, was carrying on where Pettitte had left off. Philadelphia had not one hit since Werth's home run.

The first pitch was a 78-mile per hour curveball. Inside for ball one. But then Hughes blew the next pitch by Chooch. A 94-mph four-seamer. Swung on and missed. 1-1. The next pitch was one mile slower, but that wasn't the issue for Phil. The pitch was too high and caught too much of the plate. Carlos Ruiz smacked it to left, and it found the stands right around the "374 foot" sign in the gap.

Was there a pattern to Ruiz's three hits so far?

"Two doubles and a home run, in this World Series [For Ruiz]," said Tim McCarver, "all on high fastballs."

Well, it was now a bit closer, 8-5. But the Yankees never were ones to leave anything to chance. Mariano Rivera came in, as it was now a save situation. He retired the next two batters.

So game four was big, with Philly needing it more than New York. Chooch had brought his batting average up to .333 (3-9). Add to that two bases on balls, and that on-base percentage was .455.

But New York wanted to go back to Yankee Stadium ahead, and a win in the fourth game would guarantee that. So, The Bronx Bombers took an early 2-0 lead in it. Philadelphia fought back, and scored single runs in the first and fourth to draw even. Chooch batted with a man on second and two outs in the fourth. CC Sabathia, pitching for the Yankees, could not find the strike zone. The four-pitch walk extended the inning. However, Joe Blanton fanned.

New York was undaunted, and scored twice to regain the two run lead. Solo home runs by Chase Utley in the seventh and Pedro Feliz in the eight tied it for the home team. But once again, the tie ballgame was short lived. In the top of the ninth, an Alex Rodriguez double and Jorge Posada single made it 7-4 for the Yankees. Rivera got the side 1-2-3 when Philly came up. New York was one win away from their 27th World Series win.

Ruiz had just the walk to show for his four trips to the dish. So that batting average was down to just .250. The bigger picture for him and Philadelphia, was now they had to win three straight.

A.J. Burnett was back for another appearance. In the second inning, with Philadelphia up 3-1, Carlos Ruiz led off for the home team. Burnett fanned him. But a huge third inning saw the home team send the Yankees' starting pitcher off to the showers. Raúl Ibañez provided the knockout blow with a run-scoring single.

The rally continued off David Robertson. Though he retired Pedro Feliz, it was only the first out. Robertson got ahead of Chooch 0-2, but Ruiz managed to get a hold of one. The play at second was close, but New York managed to get the force. Jayson Werth, who'd driven in a run earlier this frame, scored. What had been a close game was now a runaway, 6-1.

Ruiz was retired in the sixth, but singled to lead off the bottom of the eighth. The game was another slugfest, as New York didn't quit. Matt Stairs batted for reliever Phil Hughes and hit into a 4-6-3 double play. The Yankees, who'd trailed by as many as six runs, scored three times in the top of the eighth and once in the ninth, before the last out was made. Although they'd scored six runs, New York lost, 8-6. And although a pedestrian 1-4, the Philadelphia catcher, Carlos Ruiz, had and RBI. And no Yankee had stolen a base off him in game five. The Bronx Bombers were stuck at three swipes through five games, as Chooch's arm was clearly something to be reckoned with.

Obviously, game six was another "must-win" situation for Philadelphia. Ruiz moved down, in a way, to the ninth slot. Before that, he'd hit in front of the pitcher in the eighth slot. But the "move" to ninth seemed to help Ruiz's hitting.

But by the time he could come to bat in the top of the third, Carlos' Philadelphia Phillies were behind 2-0. Ruiz, though, worked the count into his favour (3-1). On the fifth pitch of the at-bat, he jumped on Andy Pettitte's offering. It hit off one of the screen dividers, and by the time centre fielder Brett Gardner was able to pick it up, the Philadelphia catcher was gunning. Carlos rounded second and beat the throw from second basemen Robinson Canó. The triple was big. "When there is a chance to get to third with one out, that's what you do," said Tim McCarver in the broadcast booth. "so you can score on something other than a base hit." Jimmy Rollins proved that point. He flew out to Nick Swisher in right, cashing in Carlos.

It was a nice moment for the Phillies' catcher. But really, it would pretty much be the last time his team was in the game. The Yankees scored two more runs in the bottom of the inning. It was 4-1, and with Pettitte pitching so well, the countdown seemed on.

Chooch didn't quit. He coaxed a walk from Pettitte in the fifth, only to be erased via a double play. New York scored three more runs in their half of the inning, and you knew there was no chance for Philadelphia to mount a comeback.

Ryan Howard did hit a two-run home run, and the Phillies were a little closer in the sixth. Yankees' manager decided to talk things over with his starting pitcher. Joba Chamberlain was throwing in the New York bullpen. Raúl Ibañez hit a two-out double. And just like that, Andy Pettitte was gone. Chamberlain got the Yankees out of that mess to keep the score somewhat respectable, 7-3.

J.A. Happ and Chan Ho Park held New York at bay in the sixth, so Carlos Ruiz and his teammates had three innings left to try and score four runs. Chamberlain fanned Ben Francisco to start the Philly half of the seventh. There was still Carlos Ruiz to deal with. He was 1-1, plus the walk. The batting average was up to .294. But was there any magic left in his hat?

Damaso Marte, a left-hander, began to loosen up in the Yankees' bullpen. Ruiz took inside for ball one. A 92-mile per hour heater got the count to 1-1. The third pitch to Carlos was fouled off by the catcher. Joba Chamberlain then threw a slider that just missed. Carlos did not go for it, so the count was even, 2-2. The Yankee Stadium crowd urged Chamerlain on, but Ruiz lined the next pitch into centre for a single. "What a terrific postseason Carlos Ruiz has had," said McCarver to the television audience. The former St. Louis Cardinals' catcher would add, "Philadelphia, desperately trying to get something going against Chamberlain." Tim's broadcast partner, play-by-play man Joe Buck, reminded everyone that this was nothing new for the Philadelphia backstopper. "...Ruiz is doing this in 2009 after a very good postseason in 2008." But Ruiz had actually improved on that. Overall in the 2008 postseason, Carlos' batting average was .261. Here, a year later, his average in October was up to .341. Buck continued, "He has come alive in October again..."  

Jimmy Rollins hit into a force. And while he stole second and Shane Victorino drew a walk, Philadelphia had to be content with just two runs that inning. The Yankees appeared to have a rally going in their half of the frame. A-Rod hit a one-out single. Scott Eyre came in to replace Park and cool off the big bat of Hideki Matsui. Matsui swung and missed a 1-2 pitch, but Rodriguez stole second. After an intentional walk, Robinson Canó became Eyre's second whiff of the inning.

Philadelphia posted a "0" on the scoreboard in the eighth themselves, as New York brought out their big bullpen ace. The Yankees also were held scoreless in their half of the frame.

Mariano Rivera had given up a double in the eighth, but managed to escape. In the ninth, he got Matt Stairs to line to short for the first out. But the inning, like the eighth, would not be easy. Rivera had needed six pitches to get ride of Stairs. Chooch was back at the plate. His bat was red-hot this night. And he was keeping this thing going, even as it neared the eleventh hour. Carlos was 2-2 with a walk. His batting average was now .333 in this World Series. Rivera's first pitch was so low it appeared to hit the plate. Well, if Rivera was going to be beat, he would test Ruiz with his cutter as the plate appearance went on. The next pitch was taken for a strike. Rivera was being careful with the hitter. And perhaps a little too careful. He missed with the next pitch. McCarver spoke about how the pitcher and batter were connected. "Two of only seven Panamanians. In the major leagues. Rivera and Carlos Ruiz."

On the 2-1, Rivera threw one with the intentions of getting it to break. It did but not enough, so the pitch stayed inside as it crossed the plate. 3-1. This was one tough batter for even the best of closers. Rivera got it together and threw a great pitch next, and the cut fastball found the outside of the plate. The count was full. Rivera went back to business with still another cutter, but it did not break across the dish. Ruiz took it all the way. That was one, excellent time up for the Philly catcher.

Jimmy Rollins, who batted left-handed, then got a 0-1 pitch to his liking. He got a little to much under it. Nick Swisher made the catch on the warning track. That close to a 7-5 ballgame. And there would have been only one out. Instead, there were two away, and Chooch was stuck on first. Yankee fans were already up and cheering.

On a 1-1 pitch to Shane Victorino, on which the batter swung and missed, Ruiz took second. Defensive Indifference. Victorino, who was battling a bruise to the index finger on his right hand, battled Rivera to a full count, just like Chooch had. On the tenth pitch of the at-bat, Victorino hit it to second basemen Canó, who threw to first basemen Mark Teixeira to get the final out.

Rivera and his teammates had prevailed. Though it was a 7-3 win, the Yankees' closer had almost matched his jersey number with 41 pitches thrown. Plus he'd needed to throw 39 in his game two save. The Philadelphia batters had made the New York pitches throw, getting on bases 26 times in only six games in a valiant effort to stay with a great team. Carlos Ruiz was one of three Phillies to get five walks himself. Overall, he'd hit for a .333 batting average, which was tops on Philadelphia. But even more impressive was his team-leading .478 on-base percentage. This Fall Classic made Chooch a better player, as Carlos lifted his batting average from just .255 in 2009, to .302 the next season. And one final thing about Ruiz World Series performance. "After this postseason," wrote Chuck Booth at Fansided, "the name “Señor Octubre” stuck for Ruiz."



References

Booth, Chuck. “Philadelphia Phillies: The Legacy of Carlos Ruiz.” FanSided, Minute Media, 18 May 2016, https://section215.com/2016/05/18/philadelphia-phillies-fanthe-legacy-of-carlos-ruiz/. 

Morissey, Scott C. 114 World Series in 1 Book. Updated ed., Pandamonium Publishing House, 2020.

Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. 01 May 2023.

Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, https://en.wikipedia.org/. 01 May 2023.

World Series 2009. Fox Broadcasting Company, 2009, https://www.youtube.com/. Accessed May 01 2023. 

YouTube, Google, https://www.youtube.com/. 01 May 2023.