"We know who the superstars are on our team," said John Brazer, the Phillies' director of publicity. "But we have two rock stars. One of them is Charlie Manuel. The fans in spring training just went nuts whenever he came out. And it was the same with 'Chooch.'
"He is a guy that girls want to hug and guys want to high-five."
Why do we love Chooch?
Let us count the ways.
To begin with, there is that endearing nickname: Chooch. Given his compact build - 5-10 and 206 pounds - it fits him perfectly, the way "The Stilt" suited Wilt. "Chooch" sounds like something you would win as a prize at a carnival; in reality, it is believed to come from a Spanish slang word too vulgar to explain even in the Daily News. But there is more to Ruiz than just meets the eye: The quiet Panamanian slipped into Philadelphia as a backup catcher in 2006 and has won the raves of the stellar corps of starting pitchers he handles. Roy Halladay even presented him with a duplicate of his 2010 Cy Young Award. Offensively, he held up the bottom of the batting order and has been even better in October. He has batted .353 in 11 World Series games.
We could go on. But perhaps we should hand it over to the fans.
Ray Kelly, of Yardley, said that e-harmony could not have dialed up a better love affair. "He gets the job done professionally without the fan having to curtsy to his ego," Kelly said. "He brings a sandlot enthusiasm to the field. We love Chooch because he is the great unexpected gift under the tree. He came with no salutations but he performs like a No.1 pick . . . No tease, just solid performance."
Jim Waller, of Runnemede, N.J., called him "Cinderella in shin guards."
