Ruf Times in Philly

How far is Allentown from Philadelphia? 62 miles if you drive. In baseball, it's the difference between playing for the Phillies top minor league team, the Allentown-based Lehigh Valley IronPigs and the parent club. A year ago, Darin Ruf traveled those 62 miles smoothly, capping a season of climbing through the Phillies system with a September cameo at Citizens Bank Park that included 3 home runs in 12 games.
One of the reasons I was eager to catch the Lehigh Valley / Syracuse doubleheader on July 4th was to get a look at Ruf, whose path to the majors was seemingly blocked by Ryan Howard at 1st in Philadelphia. Now with Howard back on the disabled list with a sore knee, Ruf who appeared awkward playing left field, will be back at his natural position.  And the Phillies might finally determine whether this nearly 27 year old is a prospect or suspect.

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