Phillies history: Top 5 greatest catchers in Phillies franchise history

Darren Daulton and Bob Boone are two of the top five catchers in Philadelphia Phillies history
Darren Daulton and Bob Boone are two of the top five catchers in Philadelphia Phillies history | Hunter Martin/GettyImages
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No. 4: Carlos Ruiz

The legend of "Chooch" will probably be overblown by the generation who saw him in his prime, but you still have to admire the heck out of what Carlos Ruiz was able to accomplish. One of the Phillies' rare organizational success stories to come out of Latin America, Ruiz signed with the club when he was 19. It took over seven years for him to make it to the bigs, but he became a fixture for the next decade.

You want no-hitters? Chooch has you covered. Roy Halladay twice, Cole Hamels, and the mostly forgotten Hamels/Diekman/Giles/Papelbon combo no-no of 2014 — Ruiz caught them all, and he's tied for the MLB record in this area.

Overall, Ruiz caught over 100 games seven times in his career, and he collected 898 hits and 401 RBI with the Phillies. He also hit .353 over 34 career World Series at-bats, including the dribbliest game-winning hit you've ever seen in a big spot. Hey, it still counted.

Across 1,069 regular season games and 46 playoff contests for the Phillies, Carlos Ruiz was a model of consistency and professionalism, a cool character who got every bit out of his talent. Rightfully, he'll always be a champion in this town, and everyone will know who you're talking about when they hear the cries of CHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCH.

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