Carlos Joaquín Ruiz (born January 22, 1979) is a Panamanian professional baseball catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). His nicknames include Chooch, Bad Dude and Señor Octubre. He grew up in David, Panama, and resolved to play Major League Baseball after his father and grandmother both died within two weeks of each other when he was seven years old. He made his way through the Phillies' farm system from 1998 until 2006, playing at each level of Minor League Baseball, until finally making his debut with the Phillies in 2006, fulfilling his childhood dream. He battled adversity in his progression through the system, including feeling homesick, a position change and the language barrier (he spoke Spanish, while most teammates and team officials spoke English).

He spent his first full season in the major leagues in 2007 and has remained there since. In 2008, for his strong postseason performance, including a walk-off hit, during the Phillies playoff run that concluded with victory in the 2008 World Series, he earned the nickname "Señor Octubre" (Mr. October). Despite being one of the quietest players on the team, he was subsequently called the "heart and soul" of the Phillies; he serves as a constant source of encouragement and rebuke alike to his teammates. Over the following seasons, he was a part of the core group of players that led the Phillies to five consecutive playoff appearances from 2007 until 2011. He had his best season in 2012, holding a batting average of over .300, earning his first appearance in the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, and finishing in the top 30 of the National League Most Valuable Player voting. In 2013, he began the season with a 25-game suspension for using Adderall, and subsequently spent time on the disabled list, ultimately playing in fewer than 100 games for the first time in his MLB career.

Carlos Ruiz may refer to:

Carlos David Ruiz (born 10 November 1971 in Buenos Aires) is a retired Argentine footballer and now Assistant manager of Arsenal de Sarandí.

Career

Ruiz started his professional career with Racing Club de Avellaneda in 1992, but he never played a league game with the club. The following year 1993 he joined Arsenal de Sarandí, where he played ever since, making him one of the club's longest serving players of all time. One of the highlights of his career was being part of the 2002 Arsenal team that was promoted to the Argentine Primera. During his career Ruiz made 399 appearances for Arsenal, making him the most capped player in the club's history.

Coaching career

On 30 April 2010 Ruiz was named as caretaker coach of Arsenal de Sarandí and replaced Jorge Burruchaga.

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References

Carlos Ruiz Aranega (born 20 July 1983 in Baza, Granada, Andalusia) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for CD Tenerife mainly as a defensive midfielder.

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