Detroit Tigers: Trei Cruz adds another piece to the Cruz legacy
Once Detroit Tigers prospect Trei Cruz makes his debut in MLB he will cement the Cruz legacy after becoming a third-generation ballplayer.
With the first pick in the third round (73rd overall), the Detroit Tigers selected Trei Cruz from Rice University. If you recognize the last name, it’s because both Trei’s father and grandfather, and a couple of great uncles played in the major leagues.
Jose Cruz Sr. enjoyed a 19-year playing career mostly with the Houston Astros. Cruz paved the way for his son to play in the major leagues and has been an ambassador for Houston baseball since leaving the game after the 1988 season.
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Twice an All-Star with the Astros, Cruz can often be found walking the aisles at Minute Maid Stadium. He’s eager to take a photo or tell a story and is a connection for many fans to the 70s and 80s Astros teams who wore the Tequilla Sunrise style uniforms.
Few people know Jose had two brothers who also played professional baseball. Hector Cruz played nine years as a part-time player for four different teams and Tommy Cruz got into seven games during his brief career.
All three broke into the majors with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Jose Cruz Jr. played a very productive twelve-year career, roaming the outfield for nine different teams during his time in the big leagues. His longest stay was with the Toronto Blue Jays, where he hit 122 home runs over six seasons.
Cruz Jr. was a first-round pick out of Rice University, the same program which produced his son, Trei.
This year marked the third time Trei was drafted having previously been taken in the late rounds by the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals.
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The bloodlines are there for Cruz and Trei grew up around the game. His path to the big leagues will not be cleared based on his lineage, though when he does get his first cup of coffee the Cruz’s will join a handful of other families as having three generations in professional baseball.