Hector Cruz

Born: 4/2/1953 in Arroyo, P.R.

MLB Debut: 1973-08-11 | Final Game: 1982-07-15

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 170 lbs

Full name: Hector Louis Cruz

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Biography

Hector Cruz was a professional baseball player who played as a position player from 1973 until his retirement on July 15, 1982. A native of 1953, Cruz took to the field during a transformative period in Major League Baseball, marked by the emergence of more offensive power and the increasing importance of versatile players. Over the course of his career, he appeared in 624 games, showcasing his skills primarily in the outfield. Throughout his time in the league, Cruz recorded a total of 361 hits, contributing to a career batting average of .225. He hit 39 home runs and drove in 200 runs, demonstrating his potential as a middle-of-the-order hitter. Known for his speed on the bases, he also accumulated 7 stolen bases. While his offensive numbers may not have placed him among the elite, Cruz's work ethic and commitment to the game left a lasting impression on his teammates and fans alike. His journey through the era of the late 1970s and early 1980s reflected the evolving dynamics of baseball, where power-hitting was becoming increasingly celebrated.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
624	1607	186	361	71	9	39	200	7	176	317	0.225	0.301	0.353	0.654	-1630.2

Career AVG .225 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — 13.7% below league average.

Career OBP .301 vs. league average .325 across their career seasons — 7.4% below league average.

Career SLG .353 vs. league average .383 across their career seasons — 7.8% below league average.

Career OPS 0.654 vs. league average 0.708 across their career seasons — 7.6% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1973	STL	NL	11	11	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	0.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1975	STL	NL	23	48	7	7	2	2	0	6	0	2	4	0.146	—	—	—	—	-321.1
1976	STL	NL	151	526	54	120	17	1	13	71	1	42	119	0.228	.255 (-11%)	.320 (-11%)	.360 (-6%)	.681 (-8%)	-887.3
1977	STL	NL	118	339	50	80	19	2	6	42	4	46	56	0.236	.264 (-11%)	.329 (-1%)	.401 (-11%)	.730 (-6%)	-364.2
1978	CHC	NL	30	76	8	18	5	0	2	9	0	3	6	0.237	.257 (-8%)	.323 (-18%)	.378 (+1%)	.702 (-8%)	-119.9
1978	SFG	NL	79	197	19	44	8	1	6	24	0	21	39	0.223	.257 (-13%)	.323 (-7%)	.378 (-3%)	.702 (-5%)	-119.9
1979	SFG	NL	16	25	2	3	0	0	0	1	0	3	7	0.120	—	—	—	—	0.0
1979	CIN	NL	74	182	24	44	10	2	4	27	0	31	39	0.242	.265 (-9%)	.329 (+6%)	.397 (-3%)	.727 (+1%)	0.0
1980	CIN	NL	52	75	5	16	4	1	1	5	0	8	16	0.213	.264 (-19%)	.326 (-11%)	.387 (-14%)	.714 (-13%)	-167.7
1981	CHC	NL	53	109	15	25	5	0	7	15	2	17	24	0.229	.255 (-10%)	.320 (+3%)	.368 (+27%)	.688 (+16%)	296.9
1982	CHC	NL	17	19	1	4	1	0	0	0	0	2	4	0.211	—	—	—	—	0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
2	5	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	0.200

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1979	NLCS	CIN	2	5	1	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	0.200

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
3B	203	180	124	329	33	20
OF	308	225	477	23	13	8

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1973	SLN	OF	5	2	7	0	0	0
1975	SLN	3B	12	3	4	4	2	0
1975	SLN	OF	6	6	16	0	1	0
1976	SLN	3B	148	148	100	270	26	19
1977	SLN	3B	2	0	0	1	1	1
1977	SLN	OF	106	89	154	9	6	1
1978	CHN	3B	7	7	2	14	0	0
1978	CHN	OF	14	13	30	0	0	0
1978	SFN	3B	14	6	3	13	0	0
1978	SFN	OF	53	37	82	5	2	3
1979	SFN	3B	2	2	3	2	1	0
1979	SFN	OF	6	2	5	0	0	0
1979	CIN	OF	69	49	119	8	2	4
1980	CIN	OF	29	14	42	0	2	0
1981	CHN	3B	18	14	12	25	3	0
1981	CHN	OF	16	12	21	1	0	0
1982	CHN	OF	4	1	1	0	0	0