Ruf takes the fifth (spot in order)
Charlie Manuel likes what he's seen from rookie Darin Ruf.
Ruf takes the fifth (spot in order)
Ryan Lawrence
The Phillies season will be over in about 24 hours.
In the second to last game of 2012, Charlie Manuel is trotting out a lineup that doesn't include a single player from his Opening Day starting nine. It includes just one player who is a lock (barring health, of course) to be in the 2013 Opening Day lineup: Chase Utley.
Of course, Domonic Brown and Darin Ruf could be in the mix to break camp and have starting jobs when 2013 begins, too.
In his short time in the lineup, Ruf has certainly made an impression. Ruf has hit safely in all 7 games he's started: .360 (9-for-25) with a HR, 3B, 2 2Bs and 6 RBIs.
He's hitting fifth tonight.
"I like Ruf’s swing," manager Charlie Manuel said. "I like his setup, I like his swing. ... I think he has a chance to hit. His swing is good. He’s hit everywhere he’s been. I like what I see out of him as far as the ball jumping out of his bat, he’s got power, he’s got power to all fields, he don’t mind hitting the ball to the right side of the diamond. I like him."
Unprompted, Manuel also evaluated Ruf's transition to left field and likened him to a former Phillies outfielder.
"I think he can definitely be adequate," Manuel said. "I compare him and I think he can be like a Raul Ibanez in left field. Kind of that order as far as fielding goes."
PHILLIES LINEUP
1. Kevin Frandsen, 3B
2. John Mayberry Jr, CF
3. Chase Utley, 2B
4. Ty Wigginton, 1B
5. Darin Ruf, LF
6. Domonic Brown, RF
7. Erik Kratz, C
8. Michael Martinez, SS
9. B.J. Rosenberg, P
--Jimmy Rollins probably won't play in the final two games of the season, according to Mauel. Rollins was out of Monday's lineup after tweaking his right calf this weekend in Miami.
--The Phils don't have a grand plan on how they'll handle tonight's bullpen game, but Rosenberg could probably go as many as three innings before handing over the baton. The Phils will likely opt to go with the freshest arms in a pen that was busy in September. Jonathan Papelbon and Antonio Bastardo did not pitch Monday, meaning they'll likely see action.
- If the Phillies had smart, disciplined Hall of Famers like Chipper Jones (.376 OBP) and Derek Jeter (.353 OBP) people would love them. Those guys don't hurt their team when are they are in there and never give away at bats and easy outs.
— jtj06 - I really like the idea of trying Ruf at third. Send him to the AFL, why not. Oh, as to why they didn't play him earlier, it's because they had they guy back who had carried them to 5 consecutive division titles. You do not sit a guy like that down. It's easy to say, look he can hit in retrospect about Ruf. Howard is the best RBI man in baseball. People who say otherwise are not paying attention, or have the heads up there behinds.— Paul SoTX
- Another HR for Ruf. Two tonight.— Phillies2008WSChamps
- That second one tonight was a another high one and it still went out. This guy has a great swing. Very enjoyable to watch him at the plate. A lineup next year with Howard, Ruf and Ruiz could offer some pretty damaging power.— s
- 3B and 1B are pretty different. From what I've seen Ruf is fine in LF. He won't be a gold glover but I think he'll hold his own. And he plays a very good 1B. That's enough for me. Use a defensive replacement at times in LF and give Ruf a few starts at 1B to give Howard a breather. Howard has always been a good hitter off the bench. Share the love man! I think the real benefit with Ruf and also with picking up an outfielder with some power is how having that extra power in the lineup will help everyone. Charlie can then also think about splitting up some of those LH batters at the top/middle of the order -- I like the idea of splitting Utley and Howard for example. You put a little extra power around some of the guys we like to complain about and they can look like all-stars.— s
- Another game started, another hit. Or in this case, two bombs. That must mean some old decrepit has-beens will have roster spots next season while Ruf toils at Triple-A.— TheScout
- So, "how do ya like me now??!!" Ruf finally made Cholly a reluctant believer. There's no way he can diss the kid considering the way he's been playing. Now if we could just get the kid permanently on 1st base where it seems like he's a natural. I'm sure this will never happen as Cholly will continue to play "tons of money" there despite his obvious lack of defensive skills.— dogman5
- What race ? Oh , you mean the race allowing teams lower in the standings at the end of the season given a chance to recoup their loss by meeting and defeating the first place finisher, to see who vies for the World Series. Oh , goodie !— phineas
- As the season winds down, the injury plagued season will cease with two huge cogs of the past out on the injury list (Rollins and Howard). Typical of most Phillies phans, the negativity has come out like a bad meal 30 minutes later. On the flip side, I liked the fight the team showed even when the sell went through at the end of July. From 15 games under, this team fought, scratched, and clawed back into a wild card race that honestly, was never in the "cards". However, for one week, all of our hopes were rekindled, even if it was fools gold. Now, we have the ability to look at some great things that happend this year and would NEVER had happend w/o some bad luck. Eric Kratz is a very servicable back up catcher to Chooch as well as a solid right handed bat off the pine. Kevin Frandsen can really hit MLB pitching. He can play 3B and has the guts and fight in him this team needs. Juan Pierre can still be a very productive outfielder and hit atop a MLB line up. Darin Ruf is a MLB ready hitter, most likely the right handed power bat the team has needed since the departure of Jayson Werth, at a much lesser cost that 7 years/$126 million. Freddy Galvis can field as well as anyone, just needs to learn to hit w/o the juice. Tyler Cloyd can make some starts and most likely will be a trade piece. The young arms of the bullpen can actually pitch, especially since they learned on the job and thrown right into the fire. We learned lots that otherwise, we wouldn't have. One has to wonder, was this season simply a lost season, or will the team benefit in the long run by loosing Pense/Victorino/Blanton/Polanco? Time will tell, but I know some of the answers already.— drhoffman
- Ruf good Charlie be gone.
— Barneyboy - This above statement by Charlie is another example he is a joke. Like Phillies2008WSchamps state, there was a story a week or so ago reporting Charlie wasn't sold on the rookie. Now he likes him. It took an injury to the struggling Howard for him to find out about a guy who came close to winning the Triple Crown. Meanwhile he kept playing Wigginton, a guy hitting .234 with an OPS under .700 with no speed or defense and the former phenom Dom Brown, another under .240 hitter with suspect defense and showing no much power so far. There were plenty of chances to play the rookie against LH starters, instead he kept the power hitter warming up the bench. Contending teams like Atlanta, Washington, Angels and Texas are not afraid to play rookies or young players. The Phillies, under Charlie Manuel, treat them like a disease.— EL Zorro
- It was not just trust a rookie in an unfamiliar poaition with wildcard on line. If Ruf did anything to hider that with a start in LF. He would have to live with that as a rookie. Better to give him chance to get some experience in LF during winter. His bat and minor stats are very impressive. Also fits big time need for right handed bat.— Don w
