Dear Carlos Ruiz,
Thank you.
Thank you for having been a vital part of the City of Brotherly Love since May 6th, 2006. In fact, as a Philadelphia baseball fan, when I hear the words brotherly love your face is the first thing that pops into my mind. How could your face not be the first thing considering one of my most precious childhood memories and favorite moments in Philly sports history is the moment you caught strike three against Eric Hinske to break the curse of Billy Penn? It is your smile as you ran to hug Brad Lidge that, to me, will live forever as the face of brotherly love.
Thank you for having influenced me both behind the plate and in life. My favorite article of all time is a Sports Illustrated article that dates back to July 18th, 2011. I remember the night it came out in print and how I rushed my parents all over town looking for the magazine that sported a beautiful watercolor-esque photo of my hero on the front. Through The Legions of Arms Part II: Brotherly Glove, I learned not only about your life and trials, but I learned about perseverance and the importance of never giving up on any dream, no matter how frightening the road ahead seems.
Thank you for your influence on me when it comes to being a backstop. As a young catcher in 2008, I began to watch your every movement behind the plate, mimicking your various stances and glove movements. Soon, my imitation game moved from the catcher’s box to the batter’s box and I began to walk up to the plate with a new sense of confidence in each at bat as I twirled my bat, rocking back and forth before locking in on the ball and hoping for the best. Eventually, I was even lucky enough to brandish your number on my jersey. Some would say that imitation isn’t a good thing when it comes to sports; they might say, “Ah, you’ll mess your mechanics all up” or “Be yourself, you’ll get more hits that way,” but I wholeheartedly disagree. When you look up to someone with such athletic prowess as you, and you desire nothing but to one day be even a quarter of the athlete they are, the results will be positive.
Thank you for being dedicated and loyal to your fans. You have had your ups and downs in our organization and despite all the challenges, you have remained positive and have hung with us, just as we have hung with you.
Thank you for taking care of our pitchers. My favorite commercial speaks volumes about how you cared for our aces and how appreciative they were to throw to such a glove, to how confident they were in every decision you made on the field. They trusted you like family as they should considering you've caught the last four of our city's no hitters. This taught me another thing about my job on the field; as long as I keep my pitchers as my first priority, greatness will come, not just for the name on the back of my jersey, but for the name on the front.
Thank you for all the memories, Carlos. You are an important piece of Phillies history and to see you in a Dodger uniform will be very surreal, regardless if it was the right move for the club or not.
This trade was not something I can say I felt coming In The Air Tonight, and it really came as a shock despite all the rumors and talk about the possibility of trading you. As sad as it makes me to see you leave, I know you’ll be able to live out your dream of making it to another postseason where you are now, and I’ll be cheering you on the whole way.
Finally, you’ll always be welcomed home, Chooch. Just like Chase, I am sure that when you do return to CBP, you will be met with a standing ovation and an ominous chant that will echo over the field as everyone yells out “Chooooooooooch!”
With Love,
A Catcher Who Wears #51 On Her Jersey, Just Like Her Hero
