Favorite Memories for Jose Cruz
Favorite Memories - Jose Cruz
How can anyone forget the way his cap would fly off when he was running in on a shallow fly. It's almost as if he timed it to fall off right when he made the catch and his hair would fly out.
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I donot have a favorite moment of Jose Cruz but like many latin american ballplayers who felt that they had to hit their way into the big leagues were many times short on the defensive side of their game. The same was true of Jose Cruz but he committed himself to becoming an outstanding defensive outfielder and with his speed, became one of the top defensive leftfielders in the game.
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12 years old. Don't remember who the Stros were playing, but. A ball hit deep to left field, runner on second rounding third. Cruz picks up the ball near the warning track and with one hop. Throws the bum out at home. Jaw dropping. Mr. Mean
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Nice page! As a Houstonian and diehard Astro fan for over 20 years, I've got a lot of memories of Cruz. As a player, his cap flying off as he came in on loopers was unforgettable, to me it signified how he always hustled. The first thing that comes to mind, though, is how he made my wife's day by giving her an autograph before a game in 1999, it was his last game before getting treatment for arrythmia. She'd never been to a game early enough for autographs, and was having a good time leaning over the dugout roof waving a cap and a pen, but she didn't know any of the guys unless they turned around so she could read their jersey. I'd told her that her odds were much better if she said "please" and "Mr.", not just "Hey, you", and was standing behind her helping her out with who was who. Sure enough, Cruz came up to the top step and started signing his way from one end of the dugout to the other. I told her that was Jose Cruz and that she should by all means get his autograph (she's picky, doens't want the guys she hasn't heard of!), and as he got close she leaned out with her cap saying, "Mr. Cruz, please!", and he took it and signed it. As he handed it back to her, she said, "Thank you, Mr. Cruz!" He looked at her with this strange look for a second, then winked at her and said, "Call me Cheo", and I had to explain to her what that meant. Come to think of it, he made my day too. When we go to games now, she yells as loud for Cruuuuuuuz as she does for Bagwell or Wagner!
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When I was little, I remember going to the Astrodome to see the games. Cruz was my favorite player and every game I would manage to get away from my parents and go to the left field so that I could watch Cruz from behind the chainlink fence. I will always remember the joy that I had being that much closer to my favorite player. And it also made it easier being stuck in left field on my softball team because I knew that left field was important. I knew that Jose Cruuuuuuuuz played there too.
---Kimm Antell
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I have so many memories of seeing "Cheo" play in person and on t.v. it's hard to narrow it down,but for some reason the earlier days stand out now.I used to visit my dad in New York every summer during the seventies,and when I was 12 years old in 1975 he took me to a doubleheader between my beloved Astros and the Mets at Shea.Jose's talent and hustle were both displayed that afternoon as he collected a few hits and a couple of nice catches.Cruz was the bright spot that day and that season,and he continued to be for so many years afterward.Long before we swiped Jeff Bagwell from the Red Sox for Larry Andersen,#25 was the original steal when we bought him from St.Louis.Thanks for the memories,Cheo. Joe Puma,Galveston,TX.
I WAS A TOM BOY- I HAD MANY HEALTH PROBLEMS, BUT I WAS GOING TO BE THE FIRST GIRL TO PLAY FOR THE STROS AT 9 YEARS OLD 5'6" YOU CAN IMAGINE I PLAYED BETTER THAN ANYONE MY AGE. I HAD TO GO INTO THE HOSPITAL AGAIN, FROM MY ROOM AT TEXAS CHILDRENS YOU COULD SEE THE DOME LIT UP! I WOULD LISTEN TO GAME INTENTLY ON THE RADIO AS LARRY AND MILO GAVE THE PLAY BY PLAY.I ADMIRED JOSE FOR HIS 110%(ALWAYS HIS BEST EFFORT) SO CONSISTANLY HE HIT THE BASEHITS !!I LEARNED MY STANCE FROM HIM, YOU SEE I AM LEFT HANDED TOO!I WOULD TAKE MY TIME AND WIND UP WITH MY ARMS EXTENDED THE WAY THAT HE WOULD. I LEARNED TO PLACE THE BALL EXACTLY WHERE I WANTED TO.I EVENTULLY GOT A SIGNED BASEBALL, AND I TREASURE IT STILL. HE TOOK A FEW MINUTES OF HIS TIME, AND THAT SAVED MY LIFE...WITHOUT MY DREAMS I WOULD NOT HAVE THAT DETERMINATION THAT KEPT ME GOING ALL OF THESE YEARS THAT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN GONE MANY TIMES OVER. I WANTED TO GROW UP TO BE LIKE HIM, AND I HOPE I HAVE. I WILL NEVER DEBUT IN THE DOME, BUT I HOPE I GIVE 110% EVERDAY, THE SAME WE HE DID!!! I OFTEN WONDER IF HE KNOWS HIS CONTRIBUTION TO SOCIETY WAS NOT ONLY BASEBALL, BUT THE HOPE HE GAVE TO HIS FANS!
REBECCA HEATON WILLIAMS
JOSE CHEO CRUZ WAS SELECTED THE BEST MANAGER OF THE YEAR IN PUERTO RICO. HE TOOK HIS PONCE LIONS FROM LAST PLACE A YEAR AGO TO FIRST PLACE .PUERTO RICO WINTER BASEBALL LEAGUE 2001 TO 2002
JOSE CHEO CRUZ WAS SELECTED THE BEST MANAGER OF THE YEAR IN PUERTO RICO. HE TOOK HIS PONCE LIONS FROM LAST PLACE A YEAR AGO TO FIRST PLACE .PUERTO RICO WINTER BASEBALL LEAGUE 2001 TO 2002.MY SON RONNIE LOPEZ-CEPERO HAS A BASEBALL SIGNED AND GIVEN TO HIM BY CHEO. WE SAW AS A PLAYER AND AS A MANAGER. HE WAS LOVED BY THE PONCE FANS AND WAS WELL RESPECTED BY ALL HIS PLAYERS. THANK YOU CHEO CRUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ FOR TAKING TIME WITH MY SON . DR. Jack lopez-cepero www.washburnenglishprogram.com email washburn @isla net for those that want to know cheo cruz as a managerIN PUERTO RICO..........
MY SON RONNIE LOPEZ-CEPERO LLULL AND I SAW HIM BECOME THE MANAGER OF THE YEAR WITH THE PONCE LIONS IN PUERTO RICO.HE HIS A HECK OF A PLAYER AND A PERSON. THANK YOU CHEO CRUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.DR.JACK LOPEZ-CEPERO PUERTO RICO
José “Cheo” Cruz fue tremendo pelotero y una gran persona. Su humildad, su orgullo de ser puertorrique%F1o y por su forma agresiva es admirada en todos los rincones de su patria. Cruz es un gran maestro y un hombre orgulloso de su raza latina. %A1Que viva “Cheo”Cruzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz