Nelson Cruz, baseball player, 1997-2003

Nelson Cruz

Born: 9/13/1972 in Puerto Plata, Puerto Plata, D.R.

MLB Debut: 1997-08-01 | Final Game: 2003-07-09

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 175 lbs

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Biography

Nelson Cruz, born in 1972, was a professional baseball pitcher whose career spanned from 1997 to 2003. He played in a time when Major League Baseball was transitioning into a more offensive era, characterized by the emergence of power hitters and an increasing emphasis on strikeouts. Over the course of his career, Cruz compiled a record of 15-23, with an earned run average (ERA) of 5.04. He showcased his ability to miss bats, recording a total of 277 strikeouts, and contributed to his teams with 2 saves during his tenure. Cruz's pitching style was marked by a combination of speed and movement, which allowed him to be competitive in various roles on the mound. While he may not have achieved the acclaim of some of his contemporaries, his contributions were significant in the context of the teams he played for. As he retired from professional baseball, Cruz left behind a legacy as a reliable arm in the bullpen and a testament to the evolving landscape of pitching in the early 2000s.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
15 23 204 18 0 0 2 348.3 369 195 59 109 277 5.04 0

Career ERA 5.04 vs. league average 4.49 across their career seasons — 12.1% worse than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1997 CHW AL 0 2 19 0 0 0 0 26.3 29 19 9 23 6.49 4.39 (-48%) -
1999 DET AL 2 5 29 6 0 0 0 66.7 74 42 23 46 5.67 4.71 (-20%) -609.1
2000 DET AL 5 2 27 0 0 0 0 41.0 39 14 13 34 3.07 4.77 (+36%) 883.7
2001 HOU NL 3 3 66 0 0 0 2 82.3 72 38 24 75 4.15 4.42 (+6%) 525.4
2002 HOU NL 2 6 43 5 0 0 0 78.3 90 39 29 61 4.48 4.28 (-5%) -912.3
2003 COL NL 3 5 20 7 0 0 0 53.7 65 43 11 38 7.21 4.40 (-64%) -2213.5

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
204 33 1 3 1 0 0 2 0 1 12 0.091 0.118 0.121 0.239 0.0

Career AVG .091 vs. league average .266 across their career seasons — 65.9% below league average.

Career OBP .118 vs. league average .337 across their career seasons — 65.1% below league average.

Career SLG .121 vs. league average .426 across their career seasons — 71.5% below league average.

Career OPS 0.239 vs. league average 0.763 across their career seasons — 68.7% 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
1997 CHW AL 19 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
1999 DET AL 29 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2000 DET AL 27 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
2001 HOU NL 66 6 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.167 — — — — 0.0
2002 HOU NL 43 13 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 8 0.000 — — — — 0.0
2003 COL NL 20 13 1 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 0.154 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2001 NLDS1 HOU 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
0 0 2 0 0 2.7 1 0 1 1 0.00

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
2001 NLDS1 HOU 0 0 2 0 0 2.7 1 0 1 1 0.00

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 204 18 31 56 3 3

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1997 CHA P 19 0 3 1 0 0
1999 DET P 29 6 8 17 2 0
2000 DET P 27 0 1 6 0 1
2001 HOU P 66 0 8 14 1 0
2002 HOU P 43 5 5 12 0 0
2003 COL P 20 7 6 6 0 2

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 204

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
2003 COL NL $700,000
2002 HOU NL $375,000
2001 HOU NL $285,000
1999 DET AL $210,000
Total Career Earnings $1,570,000