The phrase “emotional intelligence” has made its way into the local sporting lexicon thanks to Jeffrey Lurie. The Eagles' owner made that quality one of the prerequisites in his recent search for a new head coach.
Apparently Chip Kelly did not possess enough of this virtue.
Apparently Doug Pederson does.
Hopefully, it translates into W's on the football field because January is always a better month when the local ballers are in the playoffs.
So, what is emotional intelligence anyway?
OK. What is it beyond the Google search?
Well, there was a pretty good example of it last year in the Phillies' clubhouse.
That much became clear after speaking with Cameron Rupp for a few minutes when he was in town for a series of promotional events earlier this week.
Rupp became the Phillies’ No. 1 catcher during the second half of the 2015 season and to hear him tell it, it might not have happened without the help of the man whose job he took.
“Chooch was awesome,” Rupp said of teammate Carlos Ruiz. “Completely unselfish.
“He’s one of the best guys in our clubhouse. I can’t tell you how much he helped me.”
Rupp proceeded to tell how much Ruiz helped and supported him.
“He helped me learn hitters and make in-game adjustments,” Rupp said. “He’d always ask me, ‘Do you need anything? Is there anything I can do?’ He’d talk to me before games, during games, after games. Sometimes we’d have dinner on the road. Even this offseason, we talk once a week. We’re close. You can learn so much from a guy like that.”
Rupp, 27, is far from an established major-league catcher. He knows that, knows he will have to win the job when camp opens next month, knows there are young talents such as Andrew Knapp and Jorge Alfaro coming hard. But at this point, on this growing team, he would have to be considered the lead candidate for the starting job. He improved as 2015 progressed. He showed power with eight home runs in 38 games over the final two months of the season. He threw out 18 of 51 would-be base stealers, a very respectable 35.3 percent.
“I believe I belong here,” Rupp said. “But nothing is going to be given to me. I have to continue to compete and earn it.”
While the 2015 season was one step in Rupp’s dream of becoming a consistent regular catcher in the majors, it was personally difficult for Ruiz. Declining performance turned him into a part-time player by the time summer officially arrived. He played in just 86 games, a career low, and batted .211, also a career low.
Age catches up with everyone in the game. It caught up with Schmidt and Carlton and even Moyer eventually. It has gained on Ruiz and today provides the most basic reminder of that.
It’s his 37th birthday.
Ruiz never let his personal disappointment get in the way of his trying to help a young team in 2015. He admitted he hadn’t performed up to par. He was most gracious and selfless in helping to train the man who would take his job.
“Chooch was the everyday guy for eight years,” Rupp said. “I’m sure it was hard. It can’t be easy. But he never stopped helping me. There might be guys who wouldn’t do something like that, but not him.”
The Phillies signed Ruiz for the grand sum of $8,000 in 1998. Back then, he was just a kid from Panama, an infielder, actually, looking for a chance to play pro ball. The Phillies didn’t think he could make it in the infield but gave him a shot as a catcher and he blossomed into a World Series champion, an All-Star, the favorite catcher of a future Hall of Famer named Halladay and a big-time fan favorite.
Now, Ruiz’s time in Philadelphia is nearing an end. His contract is guaranteed through just 2016 at a hefty $9 million. He will report to camp next month looking to regain his spot as the No. 1 catcher — he is, after all, a proud man and a competitor — but will receive vigorous competition from the guy he mentored last season. When the new season begins, Ruiz could once again find himself second on the depth chart. This remains a rebuilding team and club officials are still finding out about Rupp, seeing if he can continue to improve.
In addition to competing for work and trying to show he can rebound from the struggles of 2015, Ruiz will be there trying to help Rupp improve. His generous mentorship was not a one-season thing. And his wisdom won’t be shared with just one teammate. He could end up being a valuable counselor, friend and guide to Alfaro, who hails from Colombia. In fact, if Alfaro is smart he will super-glue himself to Ruiz’s hip so he won’t miss a thing. Knapp, too.
Carlos Ruiz has more than enough emotional intelligence to go around.