Héctor Cruz

Infobox MLB retired
name=Héctor Cruz
position=Outfielder


bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1953|4|2
city-state|Arroyo|Puerto Rico
debutdate=August 11
debutyear=by|1973
debutteam=St. Louis Cardinals
finaldate=July 15
finalyear=by|1982
finalteam=Chicago Cubs
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.225
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value=39
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=200
teams=
*St. Louis Cardinals (1973, 1975-77)
*Chicago Cubs (1978, 1981-82)
*San Francisco Giants (1978-79)
*Cincinnati Reds (1979-80)
*Yomiuri Giants (1983)
highlights=
*The Sporting News Minor League Player of the Year, by|1975

Héctor Louis (Dilan) Cruz (born April 2, 1953 in Arroyo, Puerto Rico) is a former outfielder/third baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1973, 1975-1977), Chicago Cubs (1978, 1981-1982) San Francisco Giants (1978-1979) and Cincinnati Reds (1979-1980). He batted and threw right-handed.

In a nine-season career, Cruz was a .225 hitter with 39 home runs and 200 RBI in 624 games played.

In 1975, Cruz was named by "The Sporting News" as the Minor League Player of the Year after hit 29 home runs and 116 RBI in the American Association. In 1976, his first regular season with the St. Louis Cardinals, he led the National League rookies with 13 HR and 71 RBI, but also led the league third basemen with 26 errors. Then he switched to outfield, but never again performed a job on a regular basis. He also played for the Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, Cincinnati Reds, and in a second stint with the Cubs. After that, he played in Japan for the Yomiuri Giants in 1983.

He is the younger brother of José and Tommy Cruz, and uncle of José Cruz, Jr.

External links

*baseballstats |mlb= |espn= |br=c/cruzhe01 |fangraphs=1002839 |cube=C/hector-cruz
* [http://www.japanbaseballdaily.com/foreignbattingCabrera-Cumberland.html Japanese Baseball Daily]
* [http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/Pcruzh101.htm Retrosheet]