Phillies' catcher Cameron Rupp making most of opportunity

EARLIER THIS month, former Phillie and current Cleveland Indian Brandon Moss hit his 100th home run into the visiting bullpen at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City.

Good place to hit a milestone home run, right?

Yes and no. The Indians' relievers got the ball. Then they sent Moss a ransom note, filled with an assortment of Apple products, from iPads and iPhones to three MacBook Airs and an Apple Watch.

The Indians' rotation pulled the same trick last week, when rookie shortstop Francisco Lindor collected his first big-league hit.

Well, word travels fast in the baseball universe.

Cameron Rupp hit his first career home run Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium and it was almost perfect. It tied the game. And it landed in the visiting bullpen.

"I don't know where it's at," reliever Jake Diekman said the next day in the visiting clubhouse, playing dumb.

Are you holding the ball for ransom? What are you guys asking for?

"A lot of stuff," Diekman said, only revealing a personal request for a Fender Telecaster (a pretty good-looking and pricey guitar).

"Had it not happened in Cleveland . . . monkey see, monkey do, right?" Rupp joked later.

Rupp surely will get the memento back before long. He's simply happy he had the chance to set the events into motion with a home run, the first from a Phillies catcher this season.

Rupp, 26, is in his first full season in the major leagues. The year began with Carlos Ruiz, in the second season of a three-year, $26 million contract, expected to handle the bulk of the catching duties.

But Ruiz is hitting .222 with a .547 OPS and just six extra-base hits in 50 games.

Manager Ryne Sandberg, overseeing a rebuilding team, is aware of his 36-year-old catcher's struggles, so he's relied more often on Rupp recently.

In the last three weeks, since June 5, Rupp has started 10 of the Phillies' 19 games. More recently, he's started four of the last six, including three straight before Ruiz was back behind the plate catching Cole Hamels in Wednesday's matinee in New York.

"I'm enjoying the opportunity, absolutely," Rupp said. "I come in every day and work, no matter what name is on the lineup card, whether it's me or Chooch. I come in and I have my routine . . . I understand what's going on, the state that we're in as an organization. I come in and - those guys aren't going to play forever. And so you have to start [over] at some point. And they want to see who can be the guy, and I'm getting the opportunity. I'm just trying to make the best of it."

Rupp hasn't has the kind of loud offensive impact as fellow rookie Maikel Franco, but he's been productive.

Overall he's hitting .261 with a .690 OPS in 27 games. In June, when he's compiled more than 40 percent of his at-bats this season, Rupp is hitting .333 (12-for-36). His .844 OPS is 11th among big league catchers who have had at least 25 plate appearances in June.

"With the opportunity, he's done the job," Sandberg said. "Aggressive early in the count, using the whole field. He's a strong guy, with contact, he can really sting the ball. He's having some good aggressive swings."

While the Phillies may have a centerfielder and shortstop of the future at Double A Reading - Roman Quinn and J.P. Crawford - there is no obvious top catcher in the system. There are talented ones, however, including oft-injured Tommy Joseph, 19-year-old defensive wiz Deivi Grullon, and 2013 second-round pick Andrew Knapp, who was promoted to Reading yesterday. The latter two are among the Phillies' top dozen prospects, according to MLB.com's rankings.

Rupp, a third-round pick out of the University of Texas in 2010, hit 14 home runs in 94 games two years ago between Reading and Triple A Lehigh Valley but still hasn't ever been considered a long-time answer behind the plate.

Then again, neither was Ruiz. Anyone remember Jason Jaramillo?

"Everybody likes an underdog," Rupp said. "I want to be that next guy. Just like everyone else in here who puts on a uniform."

Even the guys who have held his first career home run ball ransom.

"I think it'll all be OK," Rupp said with a laugh.

A fan suggested Rupp wear an Eagles jersey to batting practice. Rupp, who was born in Dallas, went to high school in Plano and college in Austin, is a die-hard Cowboys fan.

"No, that's not happening," Rupp said. "Will not happen. You couldn't pay me to put on of those one."

J.P. Crawford and Aaron Nola, the top position player and pitcher in the Phillies' minor league system, were announced as the team's representatives for next month's Futures Game, the annual showcase of the game's top prospects.

The game will be held on Sunday, July 12 at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, two days before the All-Star Game.

Crawford, 20, was promoted to Double A Reading earlier this month. He's hitting .339 with an .872 OPS in 45 games between Reading and Class A Clearwater this year.

Nola, 22, won his second straight start since being promoted to Triple A on Wednesday. He is 9-3 with a 1.91 ERA in 14 starts between Reading and Lehigh Valley.

Blog: ph.ly/HighCheese