Francisco Cruceta

Infobox MLB player

---

width = 150
name = Francisco Cruceta
team = Detroit Tigers
number = --
position = Pitcher
birthdate = birth date and age|1981|7|4
birthplace = La Vega, Dominican Republic
bats = Right
throws = Right
debutdate = September 21
debutyear = 2004
debutteam = Cleveland Indians
statyear = 2008
stat1label = Win–Loss
stat1value = 0–4
stat2label = Earned run average
stat2value = 7.96
stat3label = Strikeouts
stat3value = 22
teams =
* Cleveland Indians (by|2004)
* Seattle Mariners (by|2006)
* Detroit Tigers (by|2008)

Francisco Alberto Cruceta (born July 4, 1981 in La Vega, Dominican Republic) is a relief pitcher in the Detroit Tigers organization.

Career

Los Angeles Dodgers

Cruceta was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent, on May 20, mlby|1999. He spent the next three seasons with the DSL Dodgers in the Dominican Summer League; in his last year he went 0-4 with 1.50 ERA.cite web | title=Francisco Cruceta | work=Toledo Mud Hens | url=http://www.mudhens.com/info/player.asp?id=207 | accessdate=2008-07-04] For by|2002, the Dodgers brought Cruceta over to the Single-A South Georgia Waves, where he went 8-5, with a 2.80 ERA and three complete games. On July 28, 2002, the Dodgers, in the midst of a pennant race, traded Cruceta with Terry Mulholland and Ricardo Rodríguez to the Cleveland Indians for veteran pitcher Paul Shuey. The Indians assigned Cruceta to the Single-A Kinston Indians. [cite news | title=Dodgers acquire RHP Shuey from Indians | date=July 22, 2002 | work=United Press International]

Cleveland Indians

At Kinston, Cruceta started seven games, going 2-0 with a 2.50 ERA. In November, the Indians added him their 40-man roster, indicating their confidence in him. [cite news | title=Indians single out the best for top 40 | first=Paul | last=Hoynes | work=Cleveland Plain Dealer | date=November 21, 2002 | page=D1] Nevertheless, Cruceta would not pitch in a major league game for the Indians until the end of the mlby|2004 season. Cruceta began the by|2003 season with the Double-A Akron Aeros. At the time, Cruceta had in his arsenal a fastball (which topped out at convert|94|mph|km/h), slider, and changeup. John Farrell, then the Indians director of player development, praised Cruceta's mechanics: "He throws the ball on a downward plane. It allows the action of all his pitches to work down and force ground-ball outs. We're ecstatic that we got him in the Rodriguez trade." [cite news | title=Prospect watch | first=Paul | last=Hoynes | work=Cleveland Plain Dealer | date=February 20, 2003 | page=D5] Cruceta enjoyed a strong year at Akron, going 13-9 with a 3.09 ERA. Cruceta returned to the Aeros for the 2004 season, and in mid-June the Indians promoted him to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, where he went 6-5 with a 3.25 ERA as the Bisons defeated the Richmond Braves for the International League championship and the Governors' Cup. Following the series Cruceta was one of six Bisons players called up by the Indians for the fall expansion. [cite news | title=Third time's a charm for Herd's Tyner | work=Buffalo News | date=September 18, 2004 | page=B3]

Cruceta replaced the injured CC Sabathia in the starting rotation, and made his major league debut against the Detroit Tigers on September 21, 2004. Cruceta gave up five runs in four innings, but didn't figure in the decision, as the Indians mounted a comeback and defeated the Tigers 8-7. He pitched in one more game that season, this time giving up four runs on five hits in 3⅔ innings on September 26, 2004, in a 6–2 loss to the Minnesota Twins, where Cruceta received the loss. [cite news | title=Youth movement hits speed bump in loss | work=Columbus Dispatch | date=September 27, 2004 | first=Scott | last=Priestle | page=09E]

Cruceta returned to Buffalo for the by|2005 season, but doubts developed about his role. He struggled as a starter, and attempts to convert him into a relief pitcher met with mixed results. Manager Marty Brown was open in his criticism of Cruceta's efforts to become a reliever, and acknowledged that, when he had Cruceta start a game in mid-August, "You could see he felt more comfortable in that starting role than out of the bullpen. That's a real positive for him." [cite news | title=Cruceta all smiles after surprise start | date=August 15, 2005 | work=Buffalo News | first=Mike | last=Harrington | page=C7] Just a few days after that start, the Indians designated him for assignment. The Seattle Mariners claimed him off waivers and sent him to the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers.

Seattle Mariners

Cruceta spent time with the Mariners during mlby|2006 spring training, but opened the year at Tacoma, where he started 28 games and compiled a 13-9 record with an ERA of 4.38 and led the Pacific Coast League (PCL) in strikeouts. In a start against the Colorado Springs Sky Sox in late May, Cruceta pitched eight shutout innings, allowing two hits and no walks while striking out 11. [cite news | title=Cruceta cuts down Sky Sox for Rainiers | work=Seattle Times | date=May 30, 2006 | page=D8] Cruceta continued to pitch strongly, but was passed over for the PCL All-Star team, a decision criticized by the Rainiers' manager, Dave Brundage, who called Cruceta "dominant" and said that he had been "snubbed." [cite news | title=Star-like Cruceta rules: Snubbed Rainiers pitcher wins like All-Star | work=The News Tribune | first=Todd | last=Milles | date=July 1, 2006] The Mariners called Cruceta up in September to make a spot start, but he didn't get out of the first inning against the Kansas City Royals, giving up five runs, including a grand slam, in one inning of work. Commented Mariners' manager Mike Hargrove: "It was one of those nights. He'll pitch again. Out of the bullpen." [cite news | title=Bad start goes good: M's overcome poor start, beat Royals, 11-8 | work=The News Tribune | date=September 16, 2006 | first=Larry | last=Larue] Cruceta made three relief appearances, giving up three runs in five innings of work, but at the end of the year waived him. The Texas Rangers claimed Cruceta and assigned him to the Triple-A Oklahoma RedHawks.

Texas Rangers

In by|2007, Cruceta was suspended for 50 games at the start of the season for violating the minor league ban on steroids. When he returned though, he performed well for the Triple-A Oklahoma RedHawks, going 3–0 in 25 games, with a 3.02 ERA, while striking out 60 batters in 65⅔ innings. He also pitched well in a winter league stint in the Dominican Winter League for Gigantes del Cibao going 1–1 with a 1.08 ERA. These performances impressed the Detroit Tigers, who signed him on November 30, 2007. [cite news | title=Tigers well-armed with Rogers; Veteran pitcher signs one-year deal after ditching agent | work=Grand Rapids Press | date=December 1,2007 | page=D1] [cite news | title=Tigers roster virtually set after signing reliever Cruceta, optioning Perez, Shelton | work=Detroit Free Press | first=Jon Paul | last=Morosi | date=December 1, 2007]

Detroit Tigers

Cruceta was expected to compete for the vacant spots in the Tigers bullpen during spring training mlby|2008, left by Joel Zumaya and Fernando Rodney after they suffered shoulder injuries. Cruceta's chances of making the Tigers bullpen was dealt a blow when his visa was withheld, allegedly due to his suspension in 2007. After two months of waiting, Cruceta was granted his visa on April 9, allowing for him to come to the U.S. from his native Dominican Republic. [cite web | url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080409&content_id=2508238&vkey=news_det&fext=.jsp&c_id=det | title=News: Visa application approved for Cruceta | work=Detroit Tigers | accessdate=2008-07-06 | date=April 9, 2008 | first=Jason | last=Beck] After returning to the United States, Cruceta was brought up to the Tigers on April 30, 2008, when Jason Grilli was traded to the Colorado Rockies. Cruceta made 13 appearances for the Tigers, going 0-3 with an ERA of 5.40. On June 3, Cruceta was designated for assignment; after clearing waivers, he joined the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens.

References

External links