Manuel says he sent a strong message to Ruiz
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Manuel says he sent a strong message to Ruiz
Bob Brookover, Inquirer Baseball Columnist
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Charlie Manuel spoke for the first time to Carlos Ruiz Tuesday about the catcher's 25-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball's substance abuse policy.
"I got on him pretty good and I think he reacted pretty good," Manuel said after his team's first official spring-training workout Wednesday. "I trust him. I don't think he'll ever do it again based on how he reacted and some of the things I said to him. He definitely was shook up and you could tell he felt real bad about what happened."
The suspension was announced in late November and the Inquirer's Matt Gelb reported that Ruiz had tested positive for Adderrall, an amphetatime used to enhance the concentration level of people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Players with a medical clearance can use Adderrall or Ritalin, but Ruiz did not have such a clearance and twice failed tests that revealed he had used a banned amphetamine.
After an excruciatingly uncomfortable and repetitive seven-minute session with the media Wednesday just beyond the left-field wall at Bright House Field, Ruiz broke down in tears.
"For me, it's hard, man," Ruiz said as sweat bubbled on his nose. "I lose something for 25 games and I want to be on the field. I want to play. At the same time, I feel like I have the support of my good friends. It'll be great to come back and do my best. I got caught two times and I have to pay for that."
Ruiz, 34, got caught the second time despite the fact he knew after the first failed drug test that he could be tested up to eight times per season.
"It's very difficult having to explain," Ruiz said. "I love baseball. I love my city, Philadelphia and Panama. I want to do my best and show everybody ... I'll do my best."
Manuel said his all-star catcher was distressed during their one-on-one conversation Tuesday.
"When I talked to him, he seemed like he was really hurt over it," Manuel said. "He told me, 'I will never do it no more. That was terrrible and I shouldn't do that.' "
The manager admitted he was upset when he first got the news during the offseason because it meant the Phillies would have to spend the first month without the player who was arguably their MVP last season.
"That's a good argument there because he stood out," Manuel said. "Yeah, I was upset when I first heard that because Chooch is a big part of our team. About the last three years he has developed into one of the best catchers in baseball. I think (Yadier) Molina (of St. Louis) has definitely improved his hitting, but Chooch can play right there with him. He's gotten that good."
Ruiz can participate in spring-training games, but Manuel said he would likely see a lot of action in minor-league games because the Phillies have to get Erik Kratz and other catchers ready for the start of the season. Barring rainouts, Ruiz will be eligible to return April 28 against the Mets in New York. Only then can he truly begin to answer the question about how much, if at all, the Adderrall contributed to his career season last year when he hit .325 with 16 home runs and 68 RBIs.
Manuel said he expects Ruiz, who is in the final year of his contract, to remain among the game's elite catchers.
"I definitely think so," the manager said. "I think the last couple years, he's really learned how to hit and take the ball the other way. He can hit a fastball, especially if you double up on a fastball and things like that. Chooch can hurt you."
The manager meant that Ruiz has the ability to punish opposing teams with his bat. For now, however, he is only hurting the Phillies and that was clearly causing an acute heartache for the catcher on the first official day of spring training.
Charlie should have known what was going on if he was any kind of manager.— krautmef1- That's the point. He isn't a manager. He's an old cheerleader. Ever listen to the guy try to put a sentence together? Do you think his players have tuned him out? After the first three or four sentences, you have a tendency (if you know how to read people) whether or not what they say makes any sense or whether the man attempting to speak HAS any sense. I guarantee you that Manuel's players sized him up on day 1. As I've said many times in the past, his players like him because he's a push over who let's them do whatever they want without repercussion. He's the old goober in the dugout that they all laugh about when they're out on the town. There is absolutely NO respect there. How can there be? These are elite proven major league players, playing for a self-proclaimed "hitting guru" who hit for a .198 career batting average, while concurrently extending his failed career in Japan! That says it all. The fact that Amaro keeps him employed after the debacle in 2011 says everything you need to know about Amaro, as well.
- Anybody using Callison has to be smart. Ghost of Callison nailed it.— Johnny Callison
- AMEN! to everything this poster said, and to his handle as well!!! Impossible not to love good old #6. — advantasux
- Thanks, Johnny, and to my good friend advantasux. There are more of us than there are the apologists. Apologists like DRR and TexasYankee are dwindling as rapidly as the cells in Manuels brain. Some people are just afraid to call it like it is and live their lives through rose colored glasses. I prefer NOT to be a patsy or allow anyone to make a jerk of me. And that's exactly what I think owners like Lurie and Montgomery and their underlings, like Amaro and Manuel, are doing. Now, the kool aid drinkers and apologists will keep hoping for a different outcome. But, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. That's where they live right now.
- fell asleep early for once and missed all the fun, @ghost. I'm guessing everyone's left by now and have headed over to other battlegrounds...I'll find where you're posting today and will be sure to repay the favor.
great responses by you on all fronts, and hysterical line here about the apologists dwindling as quickly as the cells in Manuel's brain.
Was expecting a couple of other guys to join the fray but there are so many stories posted right now by the writers that we've effectively been "spread out" (thinking of Moe there, to Larry and Curley).— advantasux - He's a cheat. He should be made to wear a scarlet C on his uniform all season.— Wilhelm Von Humboldt
- Drew777...SPOT ON.Baseball has gone to pot.— tobyjoe
- ruiz speaks almost like he needed it to perform at a high level
I bet he will never be any good again— stayoutofphilly - No, Manuel isn't feeling any pressure and looking over his back, err, third base line. What's the over/under he makes it to June 1?— TomO
- Remain among the "elite" catchers? I love Chooch but lets be real here, he had a nice year last year that was drug aided and he is 34 years old with one good year in the majors. Hardly the stuff that puts you into the "elite" category.— billro33
- It is not up to me to judge Ruiz as a person. As a fan I can simply say that his actions, this being his 2nd offense, were dumb at best and selfish at worst.— bartfr
- There is an elite catcher in the National League. Goes by the name of Posey, Buster. You know, the reigning MVP for the reigning World Champions? Sheesh.
I'm OK with Manuel talking about Ruiz. Ruiz was going to face the media today anyway. Ruiz did this, Galvis used PEDs and Romero did a few years ago as well. Manuel has had enough and may be sending a message to the rest of the team.
— therealeman - As for the "old Ruiz" we'll see. They guy has been a strong second half hitter for a few years, hitting over .300 in the second halves of both 2010 and 2011. I doubt this is all due to Adderal. I'd put my money on him still having a good year.— s
- Laughable reponse by Manuel. During the drug and steroid era's of baseball, Charlie Manuel was around the game.
Impossible to believe the coaches and managers were unaware of the players that were juicing up.
I will take it with a grain of salt, Charlie's mock admonition of Ruiz.
Probably mad with Ruiz that he got caught - not that he was using.— candidly
