Chooch gets some lovin'

It's a slow news day, but I was glad to see this Paul Hagen column on Carlos Riuz (because I knew it would make Christine happy):

Now, Ruiz isn't the best player in the Phillies' lineup. In fact, he's the only one of the regular eight who has never made an All-Star team.

He might just be the most important, though. That's partly because of the nature of his position. Catchers handle the pitching staff, a full-time job all by itself. They are involved in every defensive play.

There's only one thing we can do now - get ready to start mass-punching some All-Star ballots in a few months. It's not like there will be a dearth of fans at Citizens Bank Park this year.