Carlos Ruiz writes goodbye to Phillies teammates on clubhouse whiteboard

CatcherCarlos Ruiz wasn't in aPhiladelphia Philliesclubhouse for the first time in 10 major league seasons on Friday -- at least not in person.

Ruiz was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in adeal that includedan L.A. clubhouse favorite, catcherA.J. Ellis. Ruiz will join the Dodgers on Friday night, but left a note for his former teammates prior to their game against the New York Mets at Citi Field.

In addition to his whiteboard message, Ruiz left a bat behind, reports Ryan Lawrence of The PhillyVoice.

Ruiz had a .266 batting average, 68 home runs and 401 RBIs with the Phillies, but will likely be remembered for how players and fans viewed him as a person: a leader, class act and great teammate. Former Phillie Roy Halladay shared a story about Ruiz's admirable character with ESPN's Jayson Stark.

Philadelphia's playoff chances are pretty much null, but maybe Ruiz's note and bat could give the Phillies motivation to end the season on a high note.