José Cruz
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For other people of this name, see Jose Cruz
| José Cruz | |
|---|---|
| Outfielder | |
| Batted: Left | Threw: Left |
| MLB debut | |
| September 19, 1970 for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| Final game | |
| July 19, 1988 for the New York Yankees | |
| Career statistics | |
| Batting average | .284 |
| Hits | 2251 |
| Stolen bases | 317 |
| Teams | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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José Cruz (born August 8, 1947 in Arroyo, Puerto Rico) is a former outfielder and a coach in Major League Baseball. A member of one of Puerto Rico's most famous major league families, Cruz is the brother of Héctor and Cirilo Cruz, and the father of José Jr. Nicknamed "Cheo", many baseball fans prefer to refer to him as Cheo Cruz. Currently, he is the first base coach for the Houston Astros.
Cruz debuted with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1970. It was as a member of the Houston Astros, however, that he became a household name across Puerto Rico and the United States. He made the All-Star Game in 1980 and 1985. During his playing days, he was arguably the most famous baseball player (not counting the late Roberto Clemente) in Puerto Rico.
Cruz was traded to the New York Yankees in 1988, retiring at the end of the season. He had a total of 165 home runs and 1077 RBI during his career, while hitting for a .284 batting average.
In 1992, Cruz was honored by the Houston Astros, when the team retired his number, #25. In 2005, he agreed to coach for the team representing Puerto Rico in the 2006 World Baseball Classic, which was managed by José Oquendo, and included his own son, José Cruz, Jr.
| Preceded by Ryne Sandberg |
National League Player of the Month July, 1984 |
Succeeded by Keith Moreland |
[edit] See also
[edit] External link
- Baseball-Reference.com - career statistics and analysis
