Major League Baseball announced Friday that Nelson Cruz has been named special advisor for Baseball Operations for the entity. The former Dominican slugger will focus primarily on Latin American issues, including his native country and fostering ties with players.
“Nelson Cruz is a respected voice in the game, whose outstanding service to the youth and those in need in the Dominican Republic earned him the Roberto Clemente Award,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “Nelson is passionate about growing the game and improving issues for players and our sport as a whole. He will be a resource for many people in our game, especially in the Dominican Republic.”
Said Cruz: “I am extremely pleased to be joining Major League Baseball. Since signing in the Dominican Republic as a teenager, I have been passionate about issues affecting that country and the game in general. “I am excited to work with the Commissioner’s Office and the opportunity to work with young players by sharing what I have learned since signing in 1998.”
In his 19-season playing career, Cruz was named to seven All-Star Games, hit .274 and hit 464 home runs. He drove in 1,325 runs and had a career slugging percentage of .513. He was the Most Valuable Player of the 2011 American League Championship Series with the Rangers and in 2017 and 2019, he was the winner of the Édgar Martínez Award for Most Outstanding Designated Hitter while wearing a Twins uniform.
In 2021, Cruz won the Roberto Clemente Award for his humanitarian contributions.
(With information from MLB)
2024-05-17 22:50:42
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