| Jose Cruz, Jr. |
Article Index for Jose |
Website Links For Cruz |
Information AboutJose Cruz, Jr. |
|
José Cruz, Jr. (born April 19 , 1974 ) plays Major League Baseball for the Los Angeles Dodgers . He is the son of José Cruz , Sr. Cruz Jr. was born in Arroyo , Puerto Rico . Cruz was a 1995 graduate of Rice University and a member of Team USA in 1994. Cruz 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 , 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 stayed in Toronto until 2003, had two 30 home run seasons which included a 30-30 year. 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' single season record for outfield assist with 19. He was later acquired as a free agent by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2004. In 2005, Cruz Jr. played for three teams, the Arizona Diamondbacks, the 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 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. AWARDS Cruz won the NL Gold Glove in 2003 as a member of the Giants. EXTERNAL LINKS |
|
|