Jacob Cruz (born January 28, 1973), is an American

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professiona ...

former

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to c ...

and current

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

. He is an assistant hitting coach for the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL) ...

(MLB) and previously played professionally in

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

and

Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...

College

Cruz was drafted straight out of high school in by the

California Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...

, but did not sign; instead, choosing to play baseball for

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in t ...

. Cruz was drafted in the 1st round (32nd overall) of the

1994 Major League Baseball draft First round selections The following are the first round picks in the 1994 Major League Baseball draft. Compensation picks Compensation Picks Other notable players * Troy Glaus, 2nd round, 37th overall by the San Diego Padres, but did n ...

by the

, signing the next month.

Major League Baseball

Cruz would make his Major League debut on July 18, 1996. Cruz spent most of 1996 and in the Giants minor league system and after playing for the Giants Triple-A affiliate, the

Fresno Grizzlies The Fresno Grizzlies are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They are located in Fresno, California, and play their home games at Chukchansi Park, which was opened in 2002 in ...

, for most of the season, was traded to the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive ...

on July 23, 1998, along with Steve Reed, for Shawon Dunston,

José Mesa José Ramón Nova Mesa (; born May 22, 1966) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1987 through 2007. He played for the Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners ...

, and Alvin Morman. Cruz would play one game for the Indians in and would spend the rest of the year playing for the

Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen ...

, the Indians' Triple-A affiliate. On June 2, , the Indians traded Cruz to the

Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fi ...

for

Jody Gerut Joseph Diego Gerut (born September 18, 1977) is a former Major League Baseball center fielder who played for several teams between 2003 and 2010. Amateur career A native of Elmhurst, Illinois, Gerut attended Willowbrook High School, and later ...

and Josh Bard. Cruz would play 44 games for the Rockies and 20 for their Triple-A affiliate, the

Colorado Springs Sky Sox The Colorado Springs Sky Sox were a Minor League Baseball team in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team played in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and was the Triple-A affiliate of the major league Milwaukee Brewers (2015–2018), Colorado Rocki ...

, before being released by the Rockies on November 30, 2001. On December 21, 2001, Cruz signed with the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

. Cruz played 35 games for the Tigers and was released on October 3, . On December 27, 2002, Cruz signed with the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

. He would spend the next three years in the Reds organization, including appearing in a career-high 110 games in . Released by the Reds on April 14, , Cruz signed a minor league contract with the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major leagu ...

on May 30, 2006. Cruz played 55 games for the Mets Triple-A affiliate, the

Norfolk Tides The Norfolk Tides are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. They are located in Norfolk, Virginia, and are named in nautical reference to the city's location on the Chesapea ...

, the rest of the year and was granted free agency at the end of the season.

Korea

Before the start of the season, Cruz signed a contract with the Hanwha Eagles of the

Korea Baseball Organization The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO; ko, 한국야구위원회) is the governing body for the professional leagues of baseball in South Korea. The KBO was founded in 1981 and has governed two leagues: the KBO League ( ko, KBO 리그) and K ...

. Cruz had an excellent season with the Eagles, hitting .321 with 22

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run is ...

s and 85

RBI RBI most often refers to: *Reserve Bank of India *Run batted in RBI may also refer to: Organisations *Radio Berlin International *Raiffeisen Bank International *Reed Business Information *Restaurant Brands International *Ruđer Bošković In ...

. Before the start of the season, Cruz signed with the

Samsung Lions The Samsung Lions () are a South Korean professional baseball team founded in 1982. They are based in the southeastern city of Daegu and are members of the KBO League. Their home stadium is Daegu Samsung Lions Park. They have won the Korean Ch ...

. Cruz was cut by the Lions on May 23, 2008.

Mexico

After his release from the Lions, Cruz signed to play for the Tijuana Potros of the

Mexican Baseball League The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country. The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five te ...

for the 2008 season. In 2009, he played for the

Chihuahua Dorados Dorados de Chihuahua (English: Chihuahua Goldens) are a refounded baseball team from the city of Chihuahua. Recently, the Tuneros de San Luis moved to Chihuahua and took the Dorados namesake, which also brought the LMB (AAA) Mexican Baseball Le ...

American Association

On August 9, 2010, Cruz was signed by the

Sioux City Explorers The Sioux City Explorers are a professional minor league baseball team based in Sioux City, Iowa, in the United States. The Explorers are members American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major League Baseball. S ...

of the American Association and batted .400 in 80 at-bats. He also hit 4 home runs and had 26 RBI.

Coaching career

On December 13, 2010, the

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. ...

hired Cruz to be the Hitting Coach of the

Yakima Bears The Yakima Bears were a minor league baseball team in the northwest United States, located in Yakima, Washington. The Bears competed at the Class A Short Season level as members of the Northwest League from 1990 to 2012. Following the 2012 season ...

, the Diamondbacks Short Season Class A team. On November 22, 2011 Cruz was promoted to Hitting Coach of the

Visalia Rawhide The Visalia Rawhide are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are located in Visalia, California, and have played their home games at Valley Strong Ballpark since thei ...

, the Diamondbacks Advanced Class A team. Cruz was the hitting coach for the

Tennessee Smokies The Tennessee Smokies are a Minor League Baseball team based in Kodak, Tennessee, a suburb of Knoxville. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They play at Smokies Stadium, directly off I ...

in 2017 and 2018. Cruz then served as the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. Founded as part o ...

assistant hitting coach for the 2019 season. Cruz was hired as the assistant hitting coach for the

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. The Brewers are named for the city's association wi ...

prior to the 2020 season. Cruz was permitted to speak to other teams following the conclusion of the Brewers' 2021 season.

References

External links

Career statistics and player information
from

Korean Info
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cruz, Jacob 1973 births Living people American baseball players of Mexican descent American expatriate baseball players in Mexico American expatriate baseball players in South Korea American expatriate baseball players in Taiwan Baseball coaches from California Baseball players from California Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Cleveland Indians players Colorado Springs Sky Sox players Colorado Rockies players Cincinnati Reds players Detroit Tigers players Dorados de Chihuahua players Fresno Grizzlies players Hanwha Eagles players KBO League outfielders La New Bears players Louisville Bats players Major League Baseball hitting coaches Major League Baseball outfielders Mexican League baseball first basemen Mexican League baseball left fielders Mexican League baseball right fielders Milwaukee Brewers coaches Minor league baseball coaches Norfolk Tides players Phoenix Firebirds players Pittsburgh Pirates coaches Samsung Lions players San Francisco Giants players San Jose Giants players Shreveport Captains players Sioux City Explorers players Sportspeople from Oxnard, California Sportspeople from Ventura County, California Toledo Mud Hens players