CRUZ, NELSON  
 
Image of    Nickname:   N/A Position:   RF
Home: Montecristi, Dominican Republic Team:   RANGERS
Height: 6' 3" Bats:   R
Weight: 225 Throws:   R
DOB: 7/1/1980 Agent: N/A
Birth City: Montecristi, Dominican Republic Draft: 1998 - Mets - Free agent
Uniform #: 17  
 
YR LEA TEAM SAL(K) G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO OBP SLG AVG
2003 MWL KANE CO.   119 470 65 112 26 2 20 85 10   29 128     .238
2004 CAL MODESTO     261 54 90 27 1 11 52 8   24 73     .345
2004 TL MIDLAND     262 51 82 14 2 14 46 8   26 69     .313
2004 PCL SACRAMENTO     13 4 3 1 0 1 2 0   1 8     .231
2005 SL HUNTSVILLE   68 248 45 76 19 0 16 54 10   31 71     .306
2005 PCL NASHVILLE   60 208 33 56 13 0 11 27 9   30 62     .269
2005 NL BREWERS $316.00 8 5 1 1 1 0 0 0 0   2 0     .200
2006 PCL NASHVILLE   104 371 68 112 22 1 20 73 17 6 42 100   .528 .302
2006 AL RANGERS   41 130 15 29 3 0 6 22 1 0 7 32 .261 .385 .223
2007 AL RANGERS   96 307 35 72 15 2 9 34 2 4 21 87 .287 .384 .235
2007 PCL OKLAHOMA   44 162 32 57 9 1 15 45 1 2 21 34   .698 .352
2008 PCL OKLAHOMA   103 383 93 131 18 3 37 99 24 8 56 87   .695 .342
2008 AL RANGERS   31 115 19 38 9 1 7 26 3 1 17 28 .421 .609 .330
2009 AL RANGERS $408.00 128 462 75 120 21 1 33 76 20 4 49 118 .332 .524 .260
2009 PCL OKLAHOMA CITY   3 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 5 .091 .000 .000
2010 TL FRISCO   3 11 1 4 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 .385 .455 .364
2010 PCL OKLAHOMA CITY   5 19 1 4 1 0 0 4 0 0 2 5 .273 .263 .211
2010 AL RANGERS $440.00 81 298 38 93 22 3 16 66 15 4 30 64 .370 .567 .312
2010 TL FRISCO   3 11 1 4 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 .385 .455 .364
2010 PCL OKLAHOMA CITY   5 19 1 4 1 0 0 4 0 0 2 5 .273 .263 .211
2010 AL RANGERS $440.00 83 306 40 95 23 3 16 66 15 4 30 65 .367 .562 .310
PERSONAL:

  • In 2000, when the Mets looked to acquire utilityman Jorge Velandia from Oakland, the two teams initially couldn’t agree on a player in return. The A’s Latin American scouts raved about Cruz following his monster season in the rookie-level Dominican Summer League, so they took him.
    (Baseball America - December 2004)

  • When Nelson was a teen in the Dominican Republic, his family sent him to work at an uncle's car repair. He was a big kid, but Cruz just dabbled  a little bit in sports. His baseball experience was limited to street games.

    That changed when Mets scout Eddy Toledo spotted Cruz in a pickup game and persuaded him to join a team. It turned out that Nelson's skills weren't limited to fising cars, and Toledo signed him at age 17.
  • During the off-season before 2005 spring training, Baseball America ranked Nelson as #10 prospect in the A's organization.

    Before 2006 spring camp, the magazine had Cruz as 8th-best prospect in the Brewers organization.

  • In 2005, Nelson was the Brewers Minor League Player of the Year after helping lead the Triple-A Nashville Sounds to the Pacific Coast League Championship.

  • September 4, 2006: Nelson hit two home runs, one of which was the 21st inside-the-park home run in Texas Ranger history. Cruz was the sixth Ranger to hit two home runs in a game with one being inside the park. Rusty Greer was the last Ranger (July 21, 1994), against Pat Hentgen and the Toronto Blue Jays. Bump Wills, Gary Ward, Bob Brower and Ruben Sierra also accomplished this feat.

    •  
    Bump Wills did it on August 27, 1977, against the New York Yankees. That was the famous moment when Toby Harrah and Wills hit inside-the-park home runs on consecutive pitches off Yankees pitcher Ken Clay. (T.R. Sullivan-MLB.com-9/4/06)

  • Cruz was named the Pacific Coast League's 2008 MVP after hitting .342 with 37 home runs and 99 RBIs for Triple-A Oklahoma.

    And, Nelson was named the Rangers' organization's 2008 Player of the Year.

    TRANSACTION REPORT

  • 1998: Cruz signed with Mets scout Eddie Toledo, out of the Dominican Republic.

  • December 15, 2004: The Brewers sent INF Keith Ginter to the A's, acquiring Cruz and P Justin Lehr.

  • July 28, 2006: The Rangers sent outfielders Kevin Mench and Laynce Nix, and pitchers Francisco Cordero and Julian Cordero to the Brewers, acquiring Cruz and OF Carlos Lee.

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    BATTING:

    • Cruz has solid power to all parts of the park. Though he still tends to try to hit balls farther than over the fence, he is improving. He has a very aggressive swing, strong wrists, and fast hands that generate his fine power.

    • Nelson is laying off the high heat and instead takes the ball the other way. Before, he tended to flail at a high fastball, either popping up or striking out on the pitch. Pitchers can still attack the holes in his swing, feeding him offspeed pitches in fastball counts.

    • While Cruz still swings and misses at balls—especially a fastball high, or above the strike zone—he is a real explosive offensive player.

      BREAKDOWN VS. RIGHTIES AND LEFTIES
  • In 2007, the righty hitting Cruz hit .212 with 2 home runs in 99 at-bats vs. lefties. And .245 with 7 home runs in 208 at-bats against righthanded pitchers.

  • In 2008, Cruz hit .419 with one homer in 31 at-bats vs. lefthanded pitchers. And .298 with 6 home runs in 84 at-bats vs. righthanders.

    In 2009, Nelson hit .235 with 7 home runs in 132 at-bats off lefties, and .270 with 26 homers in 330 at-bats against righthanded pitchers.

  • As of the start of the 2010 season, Cruz had a career batting average of .255 with 55 home runs and 158 RBI in 1,019 at-bats in the Majors.
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    FIELDING:

    • Nelson has a great arm for right field. He gets good jumps on the ball and is a fine outfielder.

    • Cruz has a really powerful, accurate arm. He can throw a ball on a line from right field and hit the catcher right in the chest at home plate.
     
    CAREER INJURY REPORT:

    • May 21, 2005: Cruz was on the D.L. after he slipped on a muddy field while rounding first base during a home run trot.

    • June 14, 2008: Nelson suffered a biceps strain while with the Oklahoma RedHawks (PCL-Rangers).

    • August 2008: Cruz was on the D.L. for just over a week.

    • July 18, 2009: Nelson had a fracture at the base of his right ring finger that he suffered  after he hit a roller down the first-base line, made a nifty move to avoid Minnesota closer Joe Nathan's tag and then dove safely into first base, fraturing the finger doing so.

      "I didn't plan on diving into the bag," Cruz said. "I just reacted."

      He played with the pain, not going on the D.L.

  • August 4-21, 2009: Cruz was on the D.L. with a sprained left ankle.

  • April 26-May 14, 2010: Nelson was on the D.L. with a strained right hamstring.

    May 30-June 22, 2010: Cruz was back on the D.L., this time with a strained left hamstring.

    August 16-30, 2010: Nelson was on the D    .L. with a strained left hamstring, again. He injured it running the bases. He hit a line drive off the wall in the seventh inning and slowed as he rounded second and head toward third base for a triple. He was taken out of the game following the inning.

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    Last Updated 9/6/2010. All contents © 2000 by Player Profiles. All rights reserved.