José Cruz, Jr.

Infobox MLB player
name=José Cruz, Jr.


caption=Cruz, playing for the Padres in 2007
width=138
position=Outfielder
team=Houston Astros
number=22
bats=Switch
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1974|4|19
debutdate=May 31
debutyear=1997
debutteam=Seattle Mariners
statyear=2007
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.248
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value=204
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=623
teams=
*Seattle Mariners (by|1997)
*Toronto Blue Jays (by|1997-by|2002)
*San Francisco Giants (by|2003)
*Tampa Bay Devil Rays (by|2004)
*Arizona Diamondbacks (by|2005)
*Boston Red Sox (by|2005)
*Los Angeles Dodgers (by|2005-by|2006)
*San Diego Padres (by|2007)
*Houston Astros (by|2008)

José Luis Cruz, Jr. (born April 19, 1974 in Arroyo, Puerto Rico) is a Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently a player in the Houston Astros organization. Over his nine year playing career, Cruz has played for eight different teams. Cruz stands 6'0" tall and weighs 210 pounds. He is a switch hitter who throws right-handed. He is the son of former major league outfielder and current Houston Astros first base coach José Cruz, and the nephew of former big leaguers Héctor and Tommy Cruz.

Cruz attended Rice University from by|1992 to by|1995 and was a member of Team USA in 1994, and was also a three time All-American while at Rice, setting virtually all possible offensive records.

Cruz Jr. was a first round pick, 3rd overall, for the Seattle Mariners in the 1995 amateur draft and began his Major League career on May 31, by|1997. His days in Seattle were short as he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for Paul Spoljaric and Mike Timlin on July 31, 1997. He holds the distinction of having the most home runs in the first season of a career while playing for two or more clubs. He stayed in Toronto until by|2003 and twice hit at least 30 home runs with the Blue Jays. One of those was in by|2001, when he also stole 32 bases to become one of 3 players to record thirty home runs and thirty stolen bases during that season (Bobby Abreu and Vladimir Guerrero). He was signed as a free agent by the San Francisco Giants on January 28, 2003. In San Francisco, he won a Gold Glove and broke Willie Mays' franchise single-season record for outfield assists with 19. He was later acquired as a free agent by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in by|2004. In by|2005, Cruz Jr. played for three teams, the Arizona Diamondbacks, Boston Red Sox and finally the Los Angeles Dodgers. Although injured most of the year, Cruz ended the season on a tear, hitting .301 with six homers as a Dodger.

Cruz was picked to play for Puerto Rico in the by|2006 World Baseball Classic. In the tournament, Cruz hit .353 with a .476 on-base percentage in five games, helping Puerto Rico reach the second round.

The Dodgers designated Cruz for assignment on August 1, 2006, and eventually released him. Cruz later signed a contract with the San Diego Padres and played for them for a portion of the by|2007 season. Cruz was placed on unconditional release waivers by the Padres on August 1, 2007. On August 18, 2007, the New York Yankees signed him to a minor league deal.

On November 28, 2007, he signed a minor league deal with the Houston Astros. At the end of the by|2008 spring training, he was added to the 40-man roster. He was later designated for assignment.

In spring training in 2008, he led the major leagues in RBI, with 20. [http://mlb.mlb.com/stats/sortable_player_stats.jsp?teamPosCode=all&statType=1&statType=Overview&section1=null&timeFrame=1&Submit=Submit&c_id=mlb&sitSplit=&venueID=&baseballScope=mlb&timeSubFrame=23&&sortByStat=RBI]

José Cruz, Jr. has worked as a Major League Baseball analyst for MLB.com.

Awards

Cruz won the NL Gold Glove in 2003 as a member of the Giants.

ee also

* List of second generation MLB players
* Top 500 home run hitters of all time
* 30-30 club

External links

*baseballstats |mlb=112903 |espn=3625 |br=c/cruzjo02|fangraphs=1296 |cube=C/jose-cruz