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<p>CHICAGO -- Just over a year after the Tigers drafted him, Chance Ruffin arrived in the visitors' clubhouse at U.S. Cellular Field on Monday afternoon to find the infamous pink backpack for the newest Tigers Authentic Danny Woodhead Jersey White reliever waiting at his locker. He also arrived with icebreaking jokes. "Pretty much a joke for any occasion, one-liners," Ruffin said. Then he tested out his material. "What do you call a flying monkey? A hot-air baboon," Ruffin Authentic Danny Woodhead Jersey Black said. "Jokes like that." If he knew the situation he'd find himself in later, he would've had a hard time staying calm. Then again, maybe he would've had Danny Woodhead Jersey Red to laugh.The Tigers called up Ruffin on Sunday night to Authentic Danny Woodhead Jersey Red help fill the right-handed middle relief need they have and take some workload off Al Alburquerque, Devin Hester Jersey Outlet whose seventh-inning work seems set. Premier Danny Woodhead Jersey White Once left-handed starter Duane Below walked Adam Dunn to Premier Danny Woodhead Jersey Black load the bases in the fifth to bring up Carlos Quentin, Leyland called on Ruffin.It was Devin Hester Throwback Jersey a bases-loaded situation in a tie game, but Leyland needed the righty."That's an awfully tough spot for Devin Hester Jersey Blue him," Danny Woodhead Jersey 42 Leyland said following his club's 6-3 loss. "They hadn't seen him. I was just hoping he could Danny Woodhead Stitched Jersey get that guy out, maybe get him out and then Patriots Danny Woodhead Jersey we'll go from there."For a pitcher in his Major League debut, it's a rare spot. Patriots Danny Woodhead Jersey No Major Leaguer had debuted in that predicament in 10 years, since San Diego's Brian Lawrence did it against the cheap Brian Urlacher Jersey Dodgers on April 15, 2001 according to Devin Hester Jersey Womens Elias Sports Bureau.Ruffin will gladly take it. As a closer ever since college, and the son of a closer, he's grown up around it."It's a high-pressure situation," said Ruffin, who allowed a go-ahead two-run double to Quentin and two solo homers over 1 2/3 NFL Devin Hester Jersey innings. "It's fun Replica Devin Hester Jersey to be in. You just want to be that guy to come up with the big out. Just didn't happen for me on that one."He calls his personality "goofy," which makes sense given his job. He's also the son of former Phillies and Devin Hester Premier Jersey Rockies reliever Bruce Ruffin, who turned a good left arm into a 12-year Major League career, and might well have passed down a little bullpen mentality. Authentic Devin Hester Jersey Ruffin certainly got the sense of competitiveness. When the Phillies and Rockies would have a family day at the park and a softball game, the younger Ruffin would always be a part of it. "Yeah, I was," he said. "And I was always the most competitive one out there. It's a game for everybody to have fun out there, but I was out there to win." After opening the Premier Danny Woodhead Jersey Blue year at Double-A Erie, Ruffin made just eight appearances at Triple-A Toledo before getting the call. But if the Tigers see Ruffin as a potential piece for them down the stretch, possibly as another seventh-inning right-hander, then it behooves them to get an idea what they have in him before the July 31 Trade Deadline, so they can figure out if they need Authentic Danny Woodhead Jersey Blue more Devin Hester Jersey White help. Truth be told, the Tigers saw Ruffin with the potential for Devin Hester Jersey Premier a fast track to the big leagues when they drafted him. His performance with the SeaWolves and Mud Hens did little to change that. "I think this boils Devin Hester Jersey Black down to one simple thing: It appears to me that our people in the organization felt that he was better for us Devin Hester Jersey 23 at this point than [Lester] Oliveros was. Period," Leyland said before Monday's contest. "That's what it sounds like to me." Ruffin, not surprisingly, will take that. He became the third member of the 2010 Draft class to make it to the big leagues, joining White Sox left-hander Chris Sale and San Diego's Josh Spence. "I hoped that one of the things that I brought to the table would be the ability to move through Cheap Devin Hester Jersey an organization if I pitched well enough," he said. "So Premier Devin Hester Jersey that was always my goal going in." Raburn gets rare start at third against Buehrle CHICAGO -- Ryan Raburn hadn't started at third base since 2009, and had Authentic Devin Hester Jersey only a couple starts that year at Devin Hester Jersey Replica that. But the Tigers wanted as Premier Danny Woodhead Jersey Red much offense as they could get against old nemesis Mark Buehrle on Monday, and with Raburn Reebok Danny Woodhead Jersey starting to heat up at the plate, Reebok Devin Hester Jersey he was reintroduced to the hot corner.Raburn's 6-for-26 history against Buehrle wasn't impressive, but his two NFL Danny Woodhead Jersey homers were. By contrast, new Tigers third baseman Wilson Betemit Patriots Danny Woodhead Replica Jersey is 1-for-6 with four strikeouts lifetime Brian Urlacher Jersey Free shipping off Buehrle. Don Kelly has never faced him, being a left-handed hitter."He's swinging good," said Leyland, who had said at one point this season that he did not anticipate using Raburn at third.Raburn finished 1-for-3 with a second-inning single off Buehrle in the Tigers' 6-3 loss. Ailing Thomas placed on 60-day DL CHICAGO -- Less than two weeks after the Tigers designated left-hander Brad Thomas' contract for assignment, Devin Hester Replica Jersey they had to take it back. The assignment was voided after doctors recommended Thomas not throw for Devin Hester Jersey Youth the next few Danny Woodhead Jersey White weeks Patriots Danny Woodhead Authentic Jersey to try to get past the elbow discomfort that has sidelined him.The injury means that Thomas could not be activated from the disabled list, as he was before the Tigers designated him.The move had the potential of creating a roster crunch for the Tigers, who filled their 40-man roster by purchasing the contract of reliever Chance Ruffin after Replica Danny Woodhead Jersey Black Sunday's game. Since Thomas hasn't pitched in the Majors since early May, however, he was eligible to be placed on the 60-day disabled list, thus not counting against the 40-man.There's a strong chance Thomas will end the year on Patriots Danny Woodhead Premier Jersey the DL, whether or not he pitches again in the Minors.<br />
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