Nelson Cruz had a few of his greatest seasons with the Seattle Mariners. It’s only becoming that his profession got here to an finish within the Pacific Northwest.
Opening Day was particular for Cruz. He threw out the primary pitch then signed a one-day contract, retiring as a member of the Mariners. That second meant an important deal to Cruz as he clearly appreciated the group and the assist of the followers.
Cruz had many ups and downs in his profession. He established himself within the majors when he was 28 years outdated, breaking via with an All-Star marketing campaign in 2009. Cruz was caught up within the BioGenesis scandal in 2013, serving a 50-game suspension for violating the league’s drug coverage.
He was additionally rather more than that PED suspension. Cruz was a seven-time All-Star and a four-time Silver Slugger whereas ending within the prime 10 of the MVP poll 5 occasions. He was named the MVP of the 2011 ALCS, hitting six homers within the sequence and serving to lead the Rangers to their first World Sequence look. One of the vital fearsome energy hitters within the recreation, Cruz hit over 30 homers eight occasions, together with a six-year streak from 2014 -19.
General, Cruz posted a .274/.343/.513 batting line in his 8,396 plate appearances, hitting 464 homers and 372 doubles. And he was even higher throughout his time in Seattle, producing a .284/.362/.546 batting line with 163 homers and 93 doubles over 4 seasons.
Cruz was a celebrity then, considered one of the best players in franchise historical past. It is solely proper that he is remembered at his greatest whereas saying goodbye to a embellished profession.
