Eric
08-01-2007, 10:52 AM
5 GU Questions with Chico Ruiz
by Jim Reynolds
(GUU User Vintagedeputy)
Sometimes we as collectors and fans focus on the stars of the game.....the Aarons or A-rods. For every Aaron there are 100 players that participated in small ways in the game we all love. One of those lesser known players was an infielder named Manuel "Chico" Ruiz.
Ruiz was an infielder in the Atlanta Braves organization from 1970 - 1984. He spent most of his time in AAA Richmond but played in 18 games with the 1978 Atlanta Braves and 25 games with the 1980 Atlanta Braves. In 43 big league games, he hit .292. Recently, the Richmond Braves retired Ruiz's number 16 and I had a chance to sit and talk to him about his baseball career.
5491
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q1: What pieces of game used equipment do you still have from your career?
Ruiz: I have a couple of bats. One which I used in winter ball to set a record of 9 consecutive hits and the one that I used when I got my first major league hit. I also have my first uniform from the rookie league (1970) and my first and last uniforms that I wore playing winter ball. I also have one home and one road uniform from Atlanta. I also have all of my gloves. I had 4 gloves. I had a 3rd basemen's glove which was longer so I could stretch out a little and reach balls. I had a shortstop glove that was a medium size and a 2nd baseman's glove that was smaller. I also had a first baseman's glove but I never got to play first. I used to practice with it, you know because I was a utility man. I had to be ready if they ever said "hey, go play first". You know, I couldn't say well I never played there before. You had to be ready to play wherever. You know one time, we had a exhibition game in Richmond against the Atlanta team. That field back then, Parker Field, there was no outfield wall. It was a fence made of rope. Well they put me out in left field and I never played there before. Dale Murphy came up and he hit the ball at me. I jumped up and caught it and fell over the fence. Murphy asked me "how the heck did you catch that?" and I said "I dont know!".
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q2: When you played in Atlanta, did you ever use anyone else's equipment?
Ruiz: No. I had a contract with Rawlings so I couldn't be seen using another brand, plus a player's equipment is very special to them so I only used my own stuff.
5490
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q3: Whose autograph, if any did you ever ask for?
Ruiz: Pete Rose. You know, I played winter ball with Orlando Cepeda and Roberto Clemente and never thought to ask them for an autograph. When Pete Rose played against Atlanta in 1978, we stopped his consecutive game hitting streak. I played in that game (pinch hitter, 0-1). I remember, Gene Garber threw Rose a 3-2 changup and Rose popped it up. Boy was he mad. He said the Braves wouldnt throw him anything he could hit. I took a picture with him the next day and later on I asked him to sign that picture.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q4: What do you think of the hobby of collecting game used memoribilia?
Ruiz: Oh I think its good. You know, I told my son, you take these uniforms and stuff and you give them to your children and pass them down. Players should collect stuff from their careers.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q5: When you played for Atlanta, you faced Tom Seaver more times than any other pitcher and you were 5 for 10 against him with 2 doubles. How come you hit Seaver so well?
Ruiz:I was just lucky I guess. You know, the first time I faced him (August 7, 1978), Seaver struck me out on a breaking ball. When I went up for my next at bat, I was looking for that breaking ball and he threw it and I hit it for a double. The next time up, I got a single off of him. Right after that, they sent me back down to Richmond and I told the guys in Richmond that they'd either have to send me back up, or Seaver will have to come to Richmond to get his revenge!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
by Jim Reynolds
(GUU User Vintagedeputy)
Sometimes we as collectors and fans focus on the stars of the game.....the Aarons or A-rods. For every Aaron there are 100 players that participated in small ways in the game we all love. One of those lesser known players was an infielder named Manuel "Chico" Ruiz.
Ruiz was an infielder in the Atlanta Braves organization from 1970 - 1984. He spent most of his time in AAA Richmond but played in 18 games with the 1978 Atlanta Braves and 25 games with the 1980 Atlanta Braves. In 43 big league games, he hit .292. Recently, the Richmond Braves retired Ruiz's number 16 and I had a chance to sit and talk to him about his baseball career.
5491
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q1: What pieces of game used equipment do you still have from your career?
Ruiz: I have a couple of bats. One which I used in winter ball to set a record of 9 consecutive hits and the one that I used when I got my first major league hit. I also have my first uniform from the rookie league (1970) and my first and last uniforms that I wore playing winter ball. I also have one home and one road uniform from Atlanta. I also have all of my gloves. I had 4 gloves. I had a 3rd basemen's glove which was longer so I could stretch out a little and reach balls. I had a shortstop glove that was a medium size and a 2nd baseman's glove that was smaller. I also had a first baseman's glove but I never got to play first. I used to practice with it, you know because I was a utility man. I had to be ready if they ever said "hey, go play first". You know, I couldn't say well I never played there before. You had to be ready to play wherever. You know one time, we had a exhibition game in Richmond against the Atlanta team. That field back then, Parker Field, there was no outfield wall. It was a fence made of rope. Well they put me out in left field and I never played there before. Dale Murphy came up and he hit the ball at me. I jumped up and caught it and fell over the fence. Murphy asked me "how the heck did you catch that?" and I said "I dont know!".
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q2: When you played in Atlanta, did you ever use anyone else's equipment?
Ruiz: No. I had a contract with Rawlings so I couldn't be seen using another brand, plus a player's equipment is very special to them so I only used my own stuff.
5490
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q3: Whose autograph, if any did you ever ask for?
Ruiz: Pete Rose. You know, I played winter ball with Orlando Cepeda and Roberto Clemente and never thought to ask them for an autograph. When Pete Rose played against Atlanta in 1978, we stopped his consecutive game hitting streak. I played in that game (pinch hitter, 0-1). I remember, Gene Garber threw Rose a 3-2 changup and Rose popped it up. Boy was he mad. He said the Braves wouldnt throw him anything he could hit. I took a picture with him the next day and later on I asked him to sign that picture.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q4: What do you think of the hobby of collecting game used memoribilia?
Ruiz: Oh I think its good. You know, I told my son, you take these uniforms and stuff and you give them to your children and pass them down. Players should collect stuff from their careers.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q5: When you played for Atlanta, you faced Tom Seaver more times than any other pitcher and you were 5 for 10 against him with 2 doubles. How come you hit Seaver so well?
Ruiz:I was just lucky I guess. You know, the first time I faced him (August 7, 1978), Seaver struck me out on a breaking ball. When I went up for my next at bat, I was looking for that breaking ball and he threw it and I hit it for a double. The next time up, I got a single off of him. Right after that, they sent me back down to Richmond and I told the guys in Richmond that they'd either have to send me back up, or Seaver will have to come to Richmond to get his revenge!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------