Carlos Joaquín "Chooch" Ruiz (born January 22, 1979) is a Panamanian professional baseball player who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers and Seattle Mariners. He grew up in David, Chiriquí, Panama, and resolved to play Major League Baseball after his father and grandmother both died within two weeks of each other when he was seven years old. He made his way through the Phillies farm system from 1998 until 2006, playing at each level of Minor League Baseball, until finally making his debut with the Phillies in 2006, fulfilling his childhood dream. He battled adversity in his progression through the system, including feeling homesick, a position change, and the language barrier (he spoke Spanish, while most teammates and team officials spoke English).
