Jose Cruz (original) (raw)

Jose Cruz (born August 8, 1947) is a former Major League Baseball player from Arroyo, Puerto Rico. A member of one of Puerto Rico's most famous baseball families, Cruz is the brother of Hector and Cirilo Cruz, both of whom also saw Major League action, and the father of Jose Cruz Jr, who plays for the San Francisco Giants. Jose Cruz's nickname is Cheo, and many fans prefer to refer to him as Cheo Cruz.

Jose Cruz became a major league baseball player with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1970. It was as a member of the Houston Astros, however, that he became a household name across Puerto Rico and the United States. He made the Major League all-star game in 1980 and 1985. During his heyday, he was arguably the most famous baseball player (not counting the late Roberto Clemente) in Puerto Rico.

Cruz was traded to the New York Yankees in 1988. He played for that organization briefly before retiring. He currently is an assistant manager for the Houston Astros.

He had a total of 165 home runs and 1,077 runs batted in during his career, while hitting for a .284 batting average.