The Phillies and toothsome catcher Carlos Ruiz – who can forget that grin after Brad Lidge fanned pinch hitter Eric Hinske to take the 08 Series – and Carlos ran out and embraced Lidge on his knees? – have agreed to a three-year $8.85 million contract that avoids salary arbitration. The contract includes a $5 million club option for 2013 with a $500,000 buyout. Not bad for a guy who was making $425,000 in the 08 season. Carlos hit .375 in the 08 Series and .333 in 09 with slugging percentages of .722 and .706. He is the guy of whom they speak when they say ‘and the Phillies really have some power in the bottom of the order’. Carlos bats eighth.
Carlos is really valued for his catching and play-calling skills so it is heartening to see him getting his due. I mean who knows how much worse Cole Hamels and Brad Lidge might have pitched against the Yankees had Carlos not been catching them. After many years in the minor leagues he’s a star. Yes.
You can see his interview on the Phillies website under news. “I’m really glad to be staying in Philly”, he says. And speaking of that, Carlos may not need to go to a Rookie Camp weekend to learn how to avoid the pitfalls of stardom and lots of money. But he well might consider buying a home or apartment in Philly with his new salary. Philadelphia is a huge, spread out city that used to be the 3rd largest in the US because of its no longer existent manufacturing base. So there are lots of swell neighborhoods that have been revitalized that are not too far from Citizens Bank Park including South Philadelphia itself. There’s University City where Penn is, Center City, Society Hill, Fish Town where Chef Gordon Ramsay retooled the Hot Potato Café completely on Fox recently. One of the best - off the Parkway between the Art Museum and downtown Philly - has swell houses and apartments with views of the skyline and back yards for partying. I can just see Carlos now at the barbecue grilling his special Panamanian recipes. Ole!
Placido Polanco is coming back to the Phillies with a 3 -year $18 million contract to replace Pedro Feliz at third base and possibly bat second. He may not be looking for a home in Philly because he already lives in South Florida a few blocks from Phillies left fielder Raul Ibanez. Boy wouldn’t I love living a few blocks from those two! (We’ve had 36” of snow already in Carlisle this winter and expect between 12” and 18” tonight.) Placido played for Detroit for 3+ seasons, got 3 Golden Gloves and had the 2nd lowest strikeout average in the Majors. Don’t the Phillies need him?
That dog hunts.
