He had just returned from running sprints. You could see his chest rising up and down beneath his black cut-off t-shirt, the one with a disembodied Phillies catchers mask hovering in the center. He wore a gold chain with tiny diamonds pressed into the links. He leaned on a bat, his red gloves unvelcroed. That is to say, Carlos Ruiz looked a lot like he has in each of the 11 years that he has reported to Clearwater in the middle of February. His face is a little more weathered. His hair, perhaps, a bit thinner. Wiser? Absolutely.
"I like being around the young guys," Ruiz said with a smile.