You
are purchasing a 2013 Topps Finest Red
Refractor
Rookie auto #RA-DR, serial numbered 20/25 of Darin Ruf. The card has his on card auto signed in a crisp blue sharpie certified by Topps. Darin Ruf is pictured in his batting
stance and the card is glossy to the touch.
In 31 games, he went deep in 18 games, including one stretch of five in
a row and two contests with a pair. As
an added bonus, you will receive a 2010 Bowman Chrome 1st bowman
card #BCP122 of Darin Ruf. These
cards are an absolute must have for any Darin Ruf, prospect, or Phillies collector/fan/investor!
Darin Cortland Ruf (born July 28, 1986) is an American former
professional baseball first baseman, left fielder,
and designated hitter. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB)
for the Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, New York
Mets and Milwaukee Brewers. He also played in the KBO
League for the Samsung Lions. Ruf was born in Omaha, Nebraska,
and played at Westside High School. Subsequently, he
attended Creighton University, excelled playing baseball there, and was
named the 2007 Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Player of the Year.
The Philadelphia
Phillies drafted him in the 20th round of the 2009 Major League
Baseball draft. In the minor leagues, he initially hit for a high batting
average, but in 2011 combined that with power numbers to become one
of the Phillies' top prospects. In 2012 he led the minor leagues (and
the Eastern League) with 38 home runs, and was the Eastern League
Most Valuable Player. He made his major league debut in 2012. In 2013, he split
time between Triple-A and the major league Phillies. He was embroiled
in a roster battle for a bench spot entering 2014, but hurt his oblique,
and landed on the disabled list prior to the season. He remained with
the Phillies for two more seasons, but by 2016 his time on the major league
roster ended. He was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, but he did not play
in any games before they sold his contract to the Samsung Lions of
the KBO League.
Ruf spent three seasons in
South Korea, and in 2017 he led the KBO in runs batted in. After two more
successful seasons at the plate, he returned stateside and signed with
the San Francisco Giants, with whom he earned a major league roster spot.
The Giants traded him to the New York Mets during the 2022 season; he
played for the Mets for the remainder of that season before being designated
for assignment and released prior to the 2023 season.
Ruf was born to parents Bill
and Mary Ruf in Omaha, Nebraska; he has four siblings (one of whom is
older, the rest younger). He attended Westside High School, where he
helped the team win a Nebraska state championship his sophomore
season and finish as the runner-up his senior year. He also played football and
basketball, and was the captain of the baseball and football teams – during his
senior season, he achieved all-state honors in both football and basketball.
After his senior season, he
committed to play baseball at Creighton University for its
"combination of athletics and academics"; there, he was a
"standout" over his four seasons, serving as the squad's first
baseman.
In Ruf's freshman season
(2006), he started all 52 games. His sophomore season (2007) he was named
the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Player of the Year, a member of
both the first-team all conference squad, and a first-team all-conference
scholar athlete. He also was named an all-star for his performance
in summer collegiate baseball, during which he was a member of
the Wisconsin Woodchucks of the Northwoods League. During his
junior season (2008) he compiled a 15-game hitting streak that
contributed to his .347 season batting average. After the 2008 season, he
played collegiate summer baseball with the Falmouth
Commodores of the Cape Cod Baseball League. His collegiate career
culminated in 2009, when he was named to the second-team all-MVC team and a
third-team academic-All American by ESPN. Overall, he was "all over
the Bluejay record books, finishing first in home runs with 67, second
in runs batted in (RBIs) with 205, third in total
bases with 423 and in hits with 275, sixth
in walks with 135, and seventh in doubles with 57 ... (he)
started all 227 games in his career." While at Creighton, he earned a
degree in finance, compiled a 3.51 grade point average (GPA), and
aspired to be a successful businessman.
Ruf was drafted by
the Philadelphia Phillies in the 20th round of the 2009 Major
League Baseball draft. After the Phillies drafted him, scouting director Marti
Wolever asserted that Ruf "is an outstanding defensive first baseman with
a chance to hit and has tremendous makeup." After converting to play
predominantly in the outfield, however, Ruf's fielding was characterized as
either "serviceable" or "weak", and Phillies general
manager Rubén Amaro, Jr. commented that he did not have the defensive
skills to play every day.
Ruf's first professional
assignment was the Gulf Coast League Phillies in 2009; after
performing well there, he was promoted to the Williamsport
Crosscutters of Low–A. With both squads, he held a batting average of
over .300. He also participated in the Florida Instructional League. In
2010, he began the season with the Lakewood BlueClaws, also
of Single–A, but spent only 32 games there. The Phillies promoted him to
the High–A Clearwater Threshers, and was the Phillies' minor league
player of the week in late May. In total, he amassed nine home runs and 67 RBI while
posting a .290 amalgamated batting average.
Ruf's power emergence began
in 2011 when he hit a Florida State League–leading 43 doubles, as well as
17 home runs (8th in the league) and 82 RBI (4th) and a .308 batting
average. Defensively, he played first base, third base, and left
field, and even pitched two innings of relief during a 23–inning game. Ruf was
named an MiLB.com Organization All Star and a post-season All Star. After
the season, he played in the Arizona Fall League for the Scottsdale
Scorpions.
Ruf enjoyed great success
playing for the Reading Phillies (since renamed the Reading
Fightin Phils) in 2012, earning Eastern League Most Valuable
Player (MVP) honors, as well as the Paul Owens Award, which is given
to the best player in the Phillies' minor league system. During the
season, the Fightin Phils sold T-shirts that said "Babe Ruf", a
reference to Babe Ruth. He batted .317/.408/.620 and led the Eastern
League (and all of minor league baseball) with 38 home runs, 104 RBIs, in
on-base percentage, in slugging percentage, and in 1.028 OPS, and tied for
the league lead by playing in 139 games and 11 sacrifice flies, while second in
runs behind Aaron Hicks (93), third in walks (65), and seventh in
doubles (32), all en route to earning a September callup and making
his major league debut on September 14 (skipping the Triple-A level
entirely). He was named Rookie of the Year, a mid-season All Star, a
post-season All Star, an MiLB.com Organization All Star, and a Topps Double-A
All Star.
He recorded his first major
league hit on September 25, a home run off the Washington
Nationals' Ross Detwiler. Ruf totaled three home runs and 10 RBIs in
his 12-game "cup of coffee" at the end of the season. An article
on Phillies Nation summarized his season and journey through
the minor league system:
Darin Ruf slugged his way
onto the scene about midway through the 2012 season with the Reading Phillies;
it wasn't as though Ruf was some highly-touted prospect everyone knew about.
Really, he was an afterthought at 26 years old; a guy who was just kind of
there. That all changed.
— Excerpt from Phillies Player Review: Darin
Ruf by Pat Gallen, November 4, 2012
Ruf started the 2013 season
in Triple-A with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, but was recalled by the
Phillies on July 6 when Ryan Howard was placed on the disabled
list. In the minor leagues he was named a Baseball America Double-A All
Star. At the major league level, he finished fifth among rookies with 14
home runs, nine of which were in August, the most among any major league player
during that stretch. Of his 70 starts at the major league level, 28 were at
first base, 27 in right field, and 16 in left field, while of his 78 starts in
Triple-A, 59 came in left field and 19 came at first base. Ruf struggled
to find a spot on the Phillies roster at which he could contribute, despite
strong performance: "Even after proving he can be a productive offensive
contributor and showing his defensive versatility, Ruf's spot in the Phils’
lineup may not be locked in for next season." one columnist
wrote. For the season, he batted .247/.348/.458.
Entering the 2014 season, he
was set to compete for a spot on the bench, as Amaro declared that he was not
good enough, particularly defensively, to play every day. However, the
Phillies placed him on the disabled list (DL) due to a strained oblique;
his estimated recovery time was around the end of April or the beginning of
May. When Ruf returned, he played for the IronPigs, but suffered another
injury on June 3, fracturing his left wrist when sliding into the wall while
playing left field. He returned to the major league Phillies on July 22
when John Mayberry, Jr. landed on the disabled list, but struggled in
his first several games; in his first 17 at-bats, he had just two hits.
Nevertheless, the Phillies toyed with platooning him with Ryan Howard, who
was also struggling, at first base, and Ruf also played two innings at third
base. Overall, Ruf amassed only 117 major league plate appearances, batting
.235/.310/.402, and was significantly hindered by injuries.
As 2015 began, Ruf once again
had to fight for playing time; there was no clear opening for him on the
Phillies' roster, notwithstanding the fact that he was one of the few players
on the roster with the ability to hit for power. For the season, he batted
.235/.300/.414. He had the lowest batting average against right-handers among
all MLB hitters (140 or more plate appearances), at .158.
On May 13, 2016, Ruf was
optioned to Triple-A to make room on the roster for Tommy Joseph. With
Lehigh Valley he was second in the league with 20 home runs, 5th with a .529
slugging percentage, and 7th with 65 RBIs. He was named an MiLB.com
Organization All Star. For the season in the major leagues, he batted
.205/.236/.337. On November 11, 2016, Ruf was traded to the Los Angeles
Dodgers (along with Darnell Sweeney) in exchange for Howie
Kendrick.
On February 17, 2017, Ruf's
$1.1 million contract with the Dodgers was sold to the Samsung
Lions of the KBO League. In his first season in South Korea, Ruf
batted .315/.396/.569 and led the KBO League with 124 RBIs while also hitting
38 doubles (5th) and 31 home runs (6th).
He was re-signed for the 2018
season at $1.5 million. In 2018 he batted .330/.419/.605 with 33 home runs
(8th) and 125 RBIs (tied for 2nd) and 65 walks (6th) with a 1.024 OPS (3rd).
In 2019 he batted .292/.396/.515
with 35 doubles (4th in the league), 22 home runs (6th), 101 RBIs (5th), and 80
walks (2nd), with a .911 OPS (5th). Ruf became a free
agent following the 2019 season.
On January 23, 2020, Ruf
signed a minor league deal with the San Francisco Giants. He made the
team's opening day roster. He finished the season batting .276/.370/.517 with 5
home runs and 18 RBIs in 87 at bats over 40 games.
For the 2021 season, the
Giants extended Ruf through one-year arbitration on a $1.275 million deal. In
the 2021 regular season, he batted .271/.385/.519 with 16 home runs and 43 RBIs
in 262 at bats. He played 44 games at first base, 33 games in left field,
5 games in right field, and pitched in one game.
On March 22, 2022, Ruf signed
a 2-year, $6.25 million contract with the Giants, avoiding salary
arbitration. In a July 21 game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Ruf
hit a game-tying grand slam off of Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia. However,
the Giants would ultimately lose the game 6-9.
On August 2, 2022, Ruf was
traded to the New York Mets in exchange for J. D.
Davis, Carson Seymour, Nick Zwack and Thomas Szapucki. He made
his Mets debut on August 5, entering as a pinch hitter for Tyler
Naquin and remaining in left field. On August 15, Ruf made his first
pitching appearance for the Mets, throwing two scoreless innings in a loss
against the Atlanta Braves, in the process becoming the first regular
position player to pitch multiple innings in one game for the Mets. Ruf
appeared in 28 games for the Mets down the stretch, limping to a .152/.216/.197
slash with no home runs and 7 RBI.
Ruf later said that the trade
came at an especially difficult time in his life because he was still mourning
his father who had died that May. He also said he struggled to handle the
pressure of playing in New York City for a demanding fanbase and critical
sports media.
On March 27, 2023, Ruf
was designated for assignment after Tommy Hunter was added
to the roster. He was released by the Mets on April 2.
On April 8, 2023, Ruf signed
a minor league contract with the San Francisco
Giants organization. Ruf was happy to re-sign in San Francisco after
an unhappy stint in New York, saying "There’s not a better spot for me to
go where people know me, I know them, I’m comfortable ... and working with
people I love working with." Four days later, his contract was
selected to the Major league roster. He played in 9 games for the Giants,
going 6-for-23 (.261) with 3 RBI before he was placed on the injured list with
right wrist inflammation. While on rehab assignment with the
Triple-A Sacramento River Cats, Ruf went 4-for-20 with a double and a RBI.
On May 9, he was activated from the injured list and designated for
assignment to clear roster space for Casey Schmitt. Ruf was not
claimed on waivers, but refused an outright assignment to Triple-A and became a
free agent.
On May 15, 2023, Ruf signed a
one-year contract with the Milwaukee Brewers. On June 2, Ruf suffered
a knee laceration after colliding with a tarp while chasing a foul
ball in a game against the Cincinnati Reds. He was placed on the 60-day
injured list on June 5 after he was diagnosed with a non–displaced
fracture of his patella in addition to a deep laceration in his right
knee. He became a free agent following the season.
On September 4, 2024, Ruf
joined the University of Nebraska, Omaha baseball program as an
assistant coach.
Eric Longenhagen, a baseball
analyst for Crashburn Alley, asserted in 2013 that Ruf's ceiling
was a platoon player at first base, but that his superior intangibles
had allowed him to overachieve in terms of his potential. He wrote,
For him to be anything more
than that would be positively historic. We’ve never seen a player of this age
with a similar skill set (a fringe average hitter with a huge hole in his swing
and plus raw power who is a 20 runner with pretty much unknown arm strength) do
anything sustainable of note at the major league level. Ruf turns 28 halfway
through next year and possesses both a skillset and body that typically don't
age well. It's a very weird situation but it's a triumph of the Phillies player
development system and of Ruf's effort that he ever put on a Major League
uniform at all.
Ruf is a strong power
hitter who, according to one talent evaluator quoted in Lindy's
Sports 2014 baseball preview magazine, possessed "raw country
strength" at the plate. He has an uppercut swing, and struggles to
hit outside pitches because of poor balance at the plate, but consequently, is
able to hit fly balls and drive mistake pitches out of the park. He is a
patient hitter, and hits left-handed pitchers better than right-handed
pitchers.
Ruf has played first base as
well as both of the corner outfield spots during his career, and
focused on the outfield during the latter stages of his development because
of Ryan Howard's perceived preeminence at first base. In the
outfield, Ruf is a "liability", and he is "pretty shaky" at
first base, further underscoring his "man without a position" persona
within the Phillies' organization. This has led some to suggest he would be
better suited as a designated hitter in the American
League. In the 2020 season, which saw the DH introduced to the National League,
the Giants used him in this capacity as well as in the field.
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