'Choooooch!' Phillies fans welcome back Carlos Ruiz with heartwarming standing ovation
Last year,
He ended up buying up some Philadelphia billboard space as well. But finally, on Tuesday, the now-Mariners backup catcher was back in town to face the Phillies for a three-game series. Before the game, Ruiz talked to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki about coming back to Citizens Bank Park:
"It feels a little weird, you know, coming into the other side," Ruiz said. "But at the same time when I was driving [in] and we were getting close to the gate outside, a lot of things were [in my head]. The one thing was that it was special. I felt a little excited and nervous, and at the same time, I couldn't wait to see you guys, my teammates, the guys that work security, everybody."
Just catching up with an old friend.https://t.co/SLAuBgDMVy (via MLB Fans) pic.twitter.com/tRN5nAz1h9
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 9, 2017
Ruiz didn't start the game, but he did get a warm, standing ovation in the third inning when a tribute video was played on the Jumbotron.
He also pinch-hit to a round of applause in the eighth, with current Phillies catcher
The sounds of "Chooooooch" could probably be heard within five miles of the stadium.
We can only guess what Phillies fans were thinking about: