DURHAM -- Justin Ruggiano said he has gotten over the frustration and disappointment of not playing in the major leagues. The numbers the 28-year-old Durham Bulls outfielder is putting up make the case that he's at peace with playing the minors.
Ruggiano, in his fifth season in Durham, had a .317 batting average with six homer runs, 28 RBIs and seven stolen bases after Wednesday's game. He was voted the International League's player of the week after having four multi-hit games last week, capped on Saturday with a game-winning single in the 11th inning.
On Tuesday, he had another winning RBI-single in the 11th inning, his third game-ending hit of the season. His solo home run in the first inning on Wednesday proved to be the winner in a 1-0 victory.
Ruggiano said he has enjoyed his time in Durham but can't deny he'd like to be in the big leagues. Ruggiano last played in the majors during the 2007 and 2008 seasons, when he had two stints with the Tampa Bay Rays.
In 2007, he got into seven games with two runs, three hits and three RBIs in 14 at-bats for the Rays. .
"I wish I could have been able to relax a little bit more," Ruggiano said. "When I look back now, it was a fun time. I definitely had a few opportunities to play, not necessarily on an everyday basis, but I got in there some. I'm thankful for that."
The next season, Ruggiano got into 45 more games with the Rays but had a .197 batting average.
And he hasn't been back since.
Heading into this season, the Rays removed him from the team's 40-man roster after signing Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon.
"It's been a long five years, and it's not how I thought my career would go," he said. "I'm just trying to persevere through this. I'm hoping it's just a hard time and something better will come."
Making progress
Steve Livesey, the Rays' minor league hitting coordinator, praised Ruggiano's work ethic and said the player has matured at the plate.
"He's doing a better job of looking for pitches he likes to hit and being a little bit more selective," Livesey said. "I think he could hit in the big leagues right now. The way he works, I have no reason to believe he won't continue to get better."
Ruggiano admitted that there have times when the disappointment of not being in the majors has bothered him. He pointed to the 2009 season when his batting average dropped to .253 after he hit .315 in 2008.
Last season, he was hitting near .340 before a biceps injury put him out for three weeks, and he still managed a .287 batting average with 70 RBIs.
"He was going to have a year like the one he's having right now, and then he got injured," Bulls manager Charlie Montoyo said.
Ruggiano is thankful to have been managed by Montoyo, who had a 10-year minor league career that culminated in a 27-day stint with the Montreal Expos.
"Charlie knows me better than anyone else out here," Ruggiano said. "When I get upset, he knows how to calm me down. There have probably been times where if it wasn't for Charlie, who knows, I might not have been here this long. I'm really grateful for him."
Montoyo said he expects his players to be upset that they're not in the big leagues.
"I played Triple-A enough to know how difficult it can be for a player," he said. "After you've put up numbers and you've done everything you can to get a chance and you don't get it, it's really tough.
"But that's where I come in and try to give the guy all I can. ... He could easily be a fourth outfielder with someone else."
'Steep hill'
It was never going to be easy for Ruggiano to achieve his dream. He was drafted in the 25th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers as a senior at Texas A&M.
"I always had that steep hill to climb," he said. "I was never a prospect. This is definitely a harder road for guys who aren't designated as prospects."
But he's always believed he was good enough.
"I've never lost faith in myself," he said. "Even if I was a 25th rounder, I wasn't going to let that hold me back."
And Ruggiano, a non-denominational Christian, said he has relied on his faith to get past the frustration.
"I'm just trying to make God the center of my life right now," he said. "It's kept me happier, and I feel the difference. I feel like, no matter what, everything is going to be OK, whether I make the big leagues this year or I'm here for the rest of the season."
He is thankful to be playing baseball and to have a family: a wife, Shelly, and a son, Brooks, 2.
He's still hopeful he'll get another chance with the Rays or with another team.
"This is a children's game that we grew up in," he said. "I'm fortunate to be able to play this game and I realize that. Before, when I was younger, I took it for granted. I wanted it all right away. Of course, I still do. I still want that. But I have to live in the moment that I'm in right now."
