Randy Ruiz facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Randy Ruiz
First baseman/ Hitting coach
Born: (1977-10-19) October 19, 1977 (age 47) The Bronx, New York, U.S.
Batted: Right Threw: Right
Professional debut
MLB: August 1, 2008, for the Minnesota Twins
NPB: June 1, 2010, for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
Last appearance
MLB: May 17, 2010, for the Toronto Blue Jays
NPB: August 22, 2012, for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars
MLB statistics
Batting average	.272
Home runs	12
Runs batted in	25
NPB statistics
Batting average	.239
Home runs	20
Runs batted in	60
Teams
Minnesota Twins (2008) Toronto Blue Jays (2009–2010) Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (2010–2011) Yokohama DeNA BayStars (2012)
Medals Men's baseball Representing PUR Central American and Caribbean Games Gold 2018 Barranquilla Team

Randy Radames Ruiz (born October 19, 1977) is an American former professional baseball player. He played as a designated hitter and first baseman. Randy is 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighs 240 pounds. He was born in The Bronx, New York. His parents were from Santurce, Puerto Rico.

Randy went to James Monroe High School. He played baseball there for coach Mike Turo. Later, he attended Bellevue University in Bellevue, Nebraska. He played college level baseball there. The New York Mets first picked Randy in the 1996 Major League Baseball draft. He was chosen in the 36th round, but he did not sign with them.

In Minor League Baseball, Randy played for many teams. These included the Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles, and Philadelphia Phillies. He also played for the New York Yankees, Kansas City Royals, Pittsburgh Pirates, and San Francisco Giants. Randy holds a special record for the Rochester Red Wings. He had a 24-game hitting streak, which is the longest since 1979. He also won the Rookie of the Year Award at age 30. In 2008, Randy joined Major League Baseball with the Minnesota Twins. He also played for the Toronto Blue Jays. During the off-season, he played for the Indios de Mayagüez in the Puerto Rico Baseball League.

Randy Ruiz's Baseball Journey

Starting with the Cincinnati Reds

Randy Ruiz spent nine seasons playing in Minor League Baseball. He played for seven different teams during this time. On July 11, 1999, the Cincinnati Reds signed him. He joined them as a player who was not drafted.

He started his professional career that year. He played 33 games for the Gulf Coast Reds. He also played two games for the Single-A Clinton LumberKings.

In 2000, Randy won the Pioneer League batting title. He played for the Billings Mustangs. He was also named to the league's All-Star team after the season. He hit for a .381 batting average. He also hit 10 home runs and had 55 RBI in just 61 games. Randy was also fourth in the league for hits (88). He was also fourth in slugging percentage (.584).

In 2001, Randy was tied for third in the league. He had 57 extra base hits. He was fourth in runs batted in (RBI) with 92. He was also fifth in doubles with 34. The Reds let him go during spring training on March 24, 2003.

Playing for the Baltimore Orioles

Just five days after leaving the Reds, Randy signed with the Baltimore Orioles. This was on March 29, 2003. He started the season with the Single-A Frederick Keys. He batted .250 with one home run and 8 RBI in 17 games. Then, he moved to the Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds.

In 67 games with the Shorebirds, Randy hit .302. He also had 11 home runs and 51 RBI. From May 28 to June 8, he had his best hitting streak of the season. He got hits in 11 games in a row.

Time with the Philadelphia Phillies

In 2005, Randy Ruiz won the Eastern League batting title. He was playing with the Reading Phillies. This team was part of the Philadelphia Phillies organization.

Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees

In 2006, Randy signed with the Kansas City Royals. He started the season with the Double-A Wichita Wranglers. He batted .217 with two home runs and 3 RBI in six games. He was then released on April 14. On April 23, Randy signed with the New York Yankees. He joined their Double-A team, the Trenton Thunder. There, he batted .286 with 26 home runs and 87 RBI in 119 games.

Pittsburgh Pirates, Back to Philadelphia, and San Francisco Giants

On January 20, 2007, Randy signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was sent to the Double-A Altoona Curve. He batted .290 with seven home runs and 30 RBI in 47 games. On June 1, the Phillies got Randy back. He returned to Double-A Reading. He batted .378 with three home runs and 12 RBI in 22 games. This led to him moving up to the Triple-A Ottawa Lynx. In 22 games with Ottawa, Randy hit .215 with four home runs and 11 RBI. On July 23, the Phillies released Randy. Two days later, the San Francisco Giants signed him. He finished the season with the Double-A Connecticut Defenders. He batted .291 with eight home runs and 27 RBI in 39 games.

Joining the Minnesota Twins

On November 16, 2007, the Minnesota Twins signed Randy. He started the 2008 season with the Rochester Red Wings. This was the Twins' Triple-A team. From June 22 to July 19 that season, Randy had hits in 24 games in a row. This was the longest hitting streak for a Red Wings player since 1979. The Twins named Randy their Minor League Player of the Month for June. He had a batting average of .441. He also had three home runs and 12 RBI in his last ten games with the Red Wings. Then, he was called up to play in the major leagues for the Twins. In 111 games with Rochester, Randy had a .320 batting average. He also had 33 doubles, 17 home runs, and 68 RBI.

Randy's contract was bought by the Twins on August 1, 2008. He and Francisco Liriano were eating when they heard the news. They were called up to replace other players. That night, Randy made his major league debut. He was 30 years old and played as the designated hitter. The Cleveland Indians were playing the Twins at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. There were 33,709 people watching the game. Randy had three chances to bat. He got his first major league hit on his third at bat. It was off a pitch by starting pitcher Jeremy Sowers in the seventh inning.

He hit his first major league home run on August 27, 2008. It was off Seattle Mariners' pitcher, Ryan Rowland-Smith. This happened just hours after he was named the International League Rookie of the Year. Randy said, "Feels great, but I'm really down right now because we lost." He played in 22 games with Minnesota. He finished with a .274 average, one home run, and 7 RBI. The Twins released Randy on December 3, 2008.

Playing for the Toronto Blue Jays

Randy signed with the Toronto Blue Jays on December 17, 2008. He started the season with the Las Vegas 51s. This team was in the Pacific Coast League. He was chosen to play in the 2009 Triple-A All-Star Game. In 114 games with Las Vegas, Randy had a great season. He had a .320 batting average, 81 runs scored, and 43 doubles. He also hit 25 homers and had 106 runs batted in. His numbers for doubles, RBIs, and total bases led the league. He was called up to Toronto on August 11. On September 4, Randy was chosen as the MVP of the PCL.

Randy joined the Blue Jays major league team on August 11. He replaced Alex Ríos. Toronto was in New York to play the New York Yankees. This was at the new Yankee Stadium, close to where Randy grew up. After striking out in his first chance, Randy hit his first home run as a Blue Jay. It was off Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain in the third inning. The next day, he hit another home run. It was off former Jay A. J. Burnett. On September 6, in a home game against the Yankees, Josh Towers hit Randy in the face with a ball. Randy walked off the field on his own. He received a standing ovation and waved to the crowd. He finished the 2009 season batting .313. He also had 10 home runs and 17 RBI in 33 games.

Randy returned to the Blue Jays for the 2010 season. He was on the team's Opening Day roster. However, he had a tough start to the season. He batted just .150 with one home run in 13 games. In May 2010, Randy asked to be released from the Blue Jays. He had an offer to play in Japan.

Playing in Japan with Tohoku Rakuten Eagles

After leaving Toronto on May 19, 2010, Randy signed a contract. He joined the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). In 81 games with the Eagles, he batted .266. He also hit 12 home runs and had 38 RBI. On November 29, 2011, he became a free agent.

Short Time with Arizona Diamondbacks

On March 7, 2012, Randy signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was sent to the Triple-A Reno Aces. He started strong, batting .372 with three doubles, six home runs, and 23 RBI in 21 games in April. On May 2, the Diamondbacks announced that Randy was their Minor League Player of the Month for April. Randy was released by the Diamondbacks on June 11. In 49 games with Reno, he hit .332 with 14 home runs and 53 RBI.

Yokohama BayStars in Japan

After leaving the Diamondbacks, Randy signed with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars. He played in 32 games with the BayStars. He batted .210 with two home runs and 5 RBI.

Chicago White Sox and a Second Time with Yankees

On January 1, 2013, Randy signed with the Chicago White Sox. He was released on March 23. On June 17, 2013, Randy signed with the New York Yankees again. He was sent to their Triple-A team, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. In 71 games for the RailRiders, Randy had a .274 batting average. He also hit 17 home runs and had 42 RBI.