Randy Ruiz

Infobox MLB player


width = 150
name = Randy Ruiz
position = First baseman
team = Minnesota Twins
number = 56
bats = Right
throws = Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1977|10|19
birthplace= city-state|The Bronx|New York
debutdate=August 1
debutyear=2008
debutteam=Minnesota Twins
statyear=2008
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.274
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value=1
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=7
teams=
* Minnesota Twins (by|2008-present)

Randy Radames Ruiz (born October 19 1977) is a right-handed Major League Baseball first baseman for the Minnesota Twins. Born in in The Bronx, New York, he attended Bellevue University in Bellevue, Nebraska, where he played college level baseball. Ruiz was drafted in round 36 of of the 1996 draft.cite web|url=http://firstinning.com/players/Randy-Ruiz-a|title=First Inning: Randy Ruiz|publisher=firstinning.com|accessdate=2008-10-07] In Minor League Baseball, he played in the Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies (twice), New York Yankees, Kansas City Royals, Pittsburgh Pirates, and San Francisco Giants organizations. Ruiz holds the record for the longest hitting streak by a Rochester Red Wing player since by|1979 with 24 consecutive hits. He also won the Rookie of the Year award in the International League at 30 years old.cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080827&content_id=3376268&vkey=news_min&fext=.jsp&c_id=min|title=Well-traveled Ruiz learning on the job: Rookie relishes first big league homer, strives to get better|publisher=mlb.com|accessdate=2008-10-04] He was then called up to play Major League Baseball with the Twins, currently the team who he plays with.

Baseball career

Minor League Baseball

Ruiz spent nine baseball seasons with seven different franchises in Minor League Baseball. On July 11, by|1999, he was signed to the Cincinnati Reds organization as a non-drafted free agent. He made his professional debut playing in 33 games for the Gulf Coast Reds and two games for Single-A Clinton LumberKings.citeweb|url=http://www.readingphillies.com/bio_ruiz_randy.htm|title=Biography of Randy Ruiz from 1999-2006|publisher=www.readingphillies.com|accessdate=2008-08-05] In by|2000, Ruiz won the Pioneer League batting title with the Billings Mustangs and was named to the league's post-season All-Star squad. He ranked fourth in hits with 88 hits, and fifth in slugging percentage with a .584 mark. In by|2001, Ruiz tied for third in the league in extra base hits with 57, fourth in runs batted in (RBI) with 92, and fifth in doubles with 34. The Cincinnati Reds released him during spring training and he signed with the Baltimore Orioles organization as a free agent on March 29 of that season.

In by|2005, Ruiz won the Eastern League batting title while playing with the Reading Phillies in the Philadelphia Phillies organization. During that season, he had two violations of the MLB substance abuse policy, of the minor league drug prevention, and treatment program, which lowered the chances of him reaching the major leagues.citeweb|url=http://fantasybaseball.usatoday.com/content/player.asp?sport=Mlb&id=4238|title=Satistics and biographical information|publisher=fantasybaseball.usatoday.com|accessdate=2008-08-05] He had to serve two suspensions, testing positive for an anabolic steroid, Stanozolol, the same substance that Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson used to win the gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics before his medals were revoked. Ruiz denied he ever used the drug, and instead alleged his positive tests were the result of his use of Sildenafil|. Failing the first drug test, he served a 15-day suspension.citeweb|url=http://phillies.scout.com/2/411788.html|title=Randy Ruiz hit with 30 day suspension|publisher=phillies.scout.com|accessdate=2008-08-05] Failing a second drug test, Ruiz had to serve a 30-day suspension under the guidelines of the substance abuse policy again. He made an appeal about the drug test, but it was denied. Due to Ruiz being suspended from playing baseball, the Reading Phillies' received Nate Grindell from Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre Yankees roster to replace him until his suspension expired.

In by|2006, Ruiz signed in the Kansas City Royals organization as a minor league free agent. On November 16, 2007, Ruiz was signed by the Minnesota Twins as a minor league free agent. He began the by|2008 season with the Rochester Red Wings, the Twins' Triple-A affiliate. From June 22–July 19 of that season, Ruiz had hits in 24 consecutive games, the longest hitting streak by a Rochester Red Wing player since 1979, when the team began keeping daily statistics for individual players.cite news |url=http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080719/SPORTS06/807190317/1007/SPORTS |title=Rochester Red Wings' Ruiz extends hitting streak to 24 games with HR |author=Jim Mandelaro |work=Democrat and Chronicle |date=2008-07-19 |accessdate=2008-07-22] [cite news |url=http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080720/SPORTS06/807200334/1007/SPORTS |title=Rochester Red Wings unravel in loss to Norfolk |author=Jim Mandelaro |work=Democrat and Chronicle |date=2008-07-20 |accessdate=2008-07-22] The Twins recognized Ruiz as the organization's Minor League Player of the Month of June.citeweb|url=http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080710/SPORTS0101/807100345/1007/sports|publisher="Democrat and Chronicle"|title=Journeyman Randy Ruiz should return to Rochester Red Wings next year|accessdate=2008-08-05] He had a batting average of .441, with three home runs and 12 RBI during his last tens games with the Red Wings before being called up by the Twins to play in the major leagues.

Major League Baseball

Ruiz's contract was purchased by the Minnesota Twins on August 1, mlby|2008, along with Francisco Liriano being called-up from Triple-A. [cite news |url=http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h3o-sCKeJ9ApqJ7Ia3mFrN7J_ZNQD929QSUO0 |title=Twins promote LHP Liriano, cut Hernandez, Monroe |author=Jon Krawczynski |publisher=Associated Press |date=2008-08-01 |accessdate=2008-08-04] Liriano and Ruiz were eating together at a restaurant when they heard about the call-up.cite web|url=http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/baseball/archive/2008/08/meet_randy_ruiz.shtml|publisher= minnesota.publicradio.org|accessdate=2008-02-03|title=MPR: The Bleacher Bums: Meet Randy Ruiz] The Twins designated them to replace right-handed pitcher Liván Hernández and outfielder Craig Monroe, making them free agents.citeweb|url=http://www.twincities.com/ci_10070483?source=most_viewed|publisher=www.twincities.com|title=Minnesota Twins: Francisco Liriano, Randy Ruiz in; Livan Hernandez, Craig Monroe out|accessdate=2008-08-05] cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20080801&content_id=3235788&vkey=pr_min&fext=.jsp&c_id=min&partnerId=rss_mlb|title=Twins recall Francisco Liriano and select the contract of Randy Ruiz|publisher=mlb.com|accessdate=2008-10-06] That night, he made his major league debut for the Twins at age 30 as the designated hitter. The Cleveland Indians were playing against the Twins at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome with 33,709 people attending the game.citeweb|url=http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MIN/MIN200808010.shtml|publisher=Baseball-Reference.com|title=The Cleveland Indians against the Minnesota twins on August 1, 2008|accessdate=2008-08-05] Ruiz had three plate appearances, getting his first major league hit on his third at bat [cite web|url=http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=457859 |title=Minnesota Twins official bio |publisher=mlb.com|accessdate=2008-08-04] off of a pitch by starting pitcher Jeremy Sowers in the seventh inning.citeweb|url=http://www.sportsline.com/mlb/players/playerpage/1486152|publisher=www.sportsline.com|title=Sports page of Randy Ruiz|accessdate=2008-08-05] He also hit his first major league home run on August 27, 2008, off of Seattle Mariners' pitcher, Ryan Rowland-Smith,cite web|url=http://fantasybaseball.usatoday.com/content/player.asp?sport=MLB&id=4238|title=Randy Ruiz : USAToday.com - Randy Ruiz Biography from USAToday.com|publisher=usatoday.com|accessdate=2008-10-3] cite web|url=http://www.rotoworld.com/Content/playerpages/player_main.aspx?sport=Mlb&id=4238|title=Fantasy Sports News: Randy Ruiz|publisher=Rotoworld.com|accessdate=2008-10-06] only hours after he was named the International League Rookie of the Year.cite web|url=http://fantasynews.sportsline.com/fantasybaseball/players/playerpage/1486152|title=Randy Ruiz Fantasy Baseball at CBSSports.com|publisher=fantasynews.sportsline.com|accessdate=2008-10-06] "Feels great, but I'm really down right now because we lost," Ruiz said. "We had a runner at second there and no outs. I should have been up there moving him over."

References

External links