Normally, the Seattle Mariners coming to Philadelphia for a quick two-game set wouldn’t move the needle all that much. After all, it’s the Mariners, a team located about as far away from Philadelphia geographically as possible.
But this is no ordinary series. Tonight, the city welcomes back one of its most beloved athletes ever.
And no, that is not hyperbole. Carlos Ruiz, the lovable Chooch, will return to Citizens Bank Park for the first time since being traded from the Phils to the Dodgers late last season, and he will be welcomed home like few athletes in the city’s history.