Todd Cruz

Infobox MLB retired
name=Todd Cruz


caption=Todd Cruz in 2008
position=Infielder
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date|1955|11|23
Highland Park, Michigan
deathdate=death date and age|2008|09|02|1955|11|23
Bullhead City, Arizona
debutdate=September 4
debutyear=by|1978
debutteam=Philadelphia Phillies
finaldate=September 30
finalyear=by|1984
finalteam=Baltimore Orioles
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.220
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value=34
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=154
teams=
* Philadelphia Phillies (by|1978)
* Kansas City Royals (by|1979)
* California Angels (by|1980)
* Chicago White Sox (by|1980)
* Seattle Mariners (by|1982-by|1983)
* Baltimore Orioles (by|1983-by|1984)
highlights=
* World Series champion (1983)

Todd Ruben Cruz (born November 23, 1955 in Highland Park, Michigan, died September 2, 2008 in Bullhead City, Arizona), was an American former professional baseball player who played in the Major Leagues primarily as an infielder from 1978-1980 and 1982-1984.

In 1982, while playing for the Seattle Mariners, Cruz hit a career-high 16 home runs. In his first game with the Baltimore Orioles the following year, Cruz hit a home run and had six RBI, later playing in the 1983 World Series. [cite news|author=Childs Walker|title=First impressions|date=2008-09-10|publisher="The Baltimore Sun"|page=1/Sports]

Oriole teammate Gary Roenicke said of Cruz's 1983–1984 seasons in Baltimore, "Even though he'd played for many other teams, he always thought of himself as an Oriole. He had an outgoing personality ... and he kept everybody loose."cite news|author=Mike Klingaman|title=Ex-Orioles infielder Todd Cruz dead at 52|date=2008-09-05|publisher="The Baltimore Sun"|page=9/Sports] Cruz died on September 2, 2008, at age 52 while swimming in the pool at the apartment complex where he lived in Bullhead City, Arizona. Efforts of bystanders and responding paramedics to revive the former major league ballplayer were unsuccessful. The cause of death is pending results of the coroner's office.

Batting statistics

* 544 Games
* 336 Hits
* 34 Home Runs
* 154 RBIs
* .220 Batting Average

References

External links

*
* [http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3570666 "Cruz, of Orioles' 1983 championship team, dies in swimming accident" (ESPN, September 5, 2008)]