• Height: 6'0"
• Weight: 194-210lbs
• Throws and bats Left-handed
Growing Up:
Jacob was born on January 28th 1973 to Beatriz and Jacob Cruz in Oxnard (Channel Islands), California. He was born right handed, yet he learned to play baseball left-handed. As he grew up, with the area he resided in, and the era it was, Fernando Valenzuela at the time with the Dodgers was his baseball idol. He credits his father as being real influential with his baseball, but his mother, just as his father, had a tremendous amount of influence on his baseball career as well. From little league he had to come home and take a nap before he could play a baseball game, and he had to eat a certain amount of food before he was allowed to go out to the Little League games. She was very instrumental in his baseball.
High School:
He started going to Channel Islands High School, home of the Raiders, where he still visits once a year to talk to the teachers and the head coaches of the baseball program. He still sends them a quite a bit of equipment, throughout the year. In high school, - He hit .494 as a Jr, with 2 home runs. In 1991 he was touted as one of the best California Prep players. The California Angels thought was good enough to be drafted and took him in the 45th Round. Jacob decided other things were more important at the time. Here are some highlights of his high school career.
• Drew 50 walks in 2 seasons.
• A 3 time All-Miramonte League. (Named 2nd team as a freshman.)
• He was an All-Ventura County as Junior and Senior. Hit .443 with 8 homeruns his senior year.
• ALL-CIF two years including first team as a senior.
• Played for the Gold Medal winning west Squad at the Jr. Olympics.
• Named Mizuno All-America in High School.
College Freshman (1992)
Jacob decided to attend a primer college baseball program. He didn't go wrong when he choose any better than Arizona State University who had won several national championships. The only really memorable highlight of his freshman year was that he was able to go a perfect 5 for 5 against UC Santa Barbara.
College Sophomore - 1993
Jacob was able to assist the Arizona State Sun Devils to the Six-Pac Championship (The Hardest Division in the Nation to Play Baseball In, by Baseball America, at the time.) He was then later to help The Team to The College World Series, were Arizona State was ranked #1 in the College World Series Bracket. They came home disappointed, finishing tie for 7th place in the nation. At the end of the season, he was on a 14th Game Hitting Streak which carried on in to the 1994 Season.
College Junior - 1994
Jacob began was a Junior Year at Arizona State University. During the season, Jacob had a 30 Game Hitting Streak. He LED the team to a 3rd place finish in the College World Series.
• Finalist for Golden Spikes Award (Equivalent to The Heisman Trophy)
Six-Pac Player of The Year (The Six-Pac Division, now defunct, was rated Hardest Division to play college baseball in)
• 2nd In The Nation in hits
• 1st Team All-Collegiate
• 2nd Team All-America
• All-Regional Tournament Team
• Drafted 32nd overall in the Nation in the 1st Round by The San Francisco Giants.
• One of the highlight that year was that he was able to hit a home-run off HIGHLY TOUTED MAJOR LEAGUE baseball prospect and #1 Draft pick in the nation that year, Paul Wilson.
• Another highlight included hitting a home-run off Tennessee starting Quarterback, and Ace Todd Helton in Regional Post-Season play. Before he left, he said "Hey, I might even be able to play for Phoenix (meaning The Triple A club of the Giants, The Phoenix Firebirds)!
Professional San Jose - 1994:
He was the 32nd overall pick in the 1994 draft and the 2nd 1st round pick by the Giants. The supplemental selection was compensation from Will Clark signing with the Texas Rangers. Right after college, at the age of 21, he began his pro career with San Jose, appearing in 31 games after joining club in late June. His batting average was .246, walked 9 times, scored 14 runs, 29 hits, 7 doubles, 12 RBIS, and struck out 22 times in 118 at bats.
Double A - Shereveport - 1995:
Jacob appeared in the Double-A All-Star Game, And Tex-Mex All Star Game. He was name to the Post-Season All-Star Team. He finished 2nd in the league In Runs with 88, and tied for 2nd in doubles with 33. He batted .297 with 136 hits in 458 at-bats in 127 games. He had 1 triple and 13 homeruns with 77 RBI's, 9 stolen bases, 57 walks and struck out 72 times.
Triple A - Phoenix - 1996:
Cruz returned to Phoenix to play baseball. He basically tore up the AAA with his hitting setting many streaks and keeping his die-hard fans from college very impressed. In 121 games, he hit .285 in 435 at-bats. He scored 60 runs on 124 hits, 26 doubles, 4 triples, 62 walks, and 7 home runs. He had 75 Runs batted in, but he also struck out 77 times. The Phoenix Firebirds voted Jacob Cruz as Team MVP. He led the team in hits and runs batted in for the 1996 Season. (Source: The Arizona Republic Newspaper)
The Call - Thursday, July 19, 1996: Jacob Cruz got his callup to The San Francisco Giants. He went 0-4 with 3 strikeouts against Hideo Nomo in his first game. The next day he hits his 1st major league hit and home-run to lead off the 5th inning. It was a curve-ball of Tom Candiotti! On July 22nd Jacob's home-run from two night before was voted as "The Highlight of the Week" by Major League Baseball. By the end of the 1996 baseball season he started in left-field in front of an injured Barry Bonds. While with the Giants, He played in 33 games, and had a batting average of .234 He batted 77 times, with 10 runs, 18 hits, 3 doubles, 3 home-runs, 10 RBIs, 8 walks, and struck out 24 times. He was hit by a pitch twice, had 1 sacrifice hit, 2 sacrifice fly's, and was caught stealing once.
Jacob: The most memorable event I can recall. Baseball related, for myself, my most memorable moment as a player was probably my first big league hit, a big league home run. I don't think I'll ever forget that; I felt like I was floating around the bases. The first time I was called up to play in the majors I was very excited. That was 2 years out of college, and I was called into my manager’s office, and I wasn't sure if I was in trouble or not. He called me into his office and told me I was going to the big leagues, and for the first time to hear those words, that you're going to the majors, it was very exciting, it was a dream come true. I'm still here, up and down, but it's still like I'm living a dream.
Phoenix - 1997: Jacob returned to play for Phoenix. Jacob in 1997 had a 25 game hitting streak and was voted as an ALL-MINOR LEAGUE ALL-STAR and the AAA ALL-STAR GAME. While in Phoenix in 1997, in 127 games, he hit .361 in 493 at bats, 178 hits, 45 doubles, 3 triples, 12 homeruns, 64 walks, 95 RBIS, 18 stolen bases, and had 64 strikeouts. He was currently leading the league in .avg, hits, and doubles before he was called up to San Francisco once again.
San Francisco - 1997:
He had a .160 in 25 at-bats, in 16 games, he scored 3 runs, on 4 hits, 1 double. He had 3 RBIs, 3 walks, and struck out 4 strikeouts.
The Trade - 1998: On July 23, 1998, he was traded along with Steve Reed for RHP Jose Mesa, LHP Alvin Mormon and INF Shawn Dunston. Cruz got sent to Cleveland!
1999: Overall at AAA Fresno & Buffalo, Jacob hit .309 (158 hits in 511 abs) with 102 Runs scored, 25 doubles, 31 Home-runs, and 98 RBI in 132 games...His 31 HR would have ranked tied for 4th in the International League had he played a full season while his 98 RBI would have ranked 6th...
June 1, 2001
Jacob Cruz got traded from Cleveland to the Colorado Rockies for Jody Gerut and Josh Bard. He says he is excited and looking forward to playing for Colorado, but by the end of 2001 Season, Jacob was put on Waivers by Colorado! No one claimed him! On December 23, 2001 Jacob signed a contract with the Triple A team of the Detroit Tigers (Toledo) with a clause for chance to get called up a to Tigers roster.
Jacob Cruz leaves Reds - October 7, 2004
CINCINNATI (AP) -- Jacob Cruz refused the Cincinnati Reds' attempt to assign him outright to the minors leagues on Thursday, opting to become a free agent. Cruz was the Reds' top pinch hitter last season, going 14-for-55 (.255). He also started 22 games in the outfield, first base and as designated hitter after he was promoted from Triple-A Louisville on April 28. Cruz hit .224 overall with three homers and 28 RBIs.
At about this time in life, I stopped chronicling Jacob's Career since I was attending college, maybe someday in the future I will backtrack and fill in the gaps. I knew he played in Korea and in Mexico but in 2010 I was able to get reconnected with him. So one I may fill in the history highlights of 2005-2010.
Coaching Career:
On December 13, 2010, The Arizona Diamondbacks hired Jacob to be that hitting coach for the Yakima Bears, which is the short single A season team. He was then promoted to the Advanced A Team, Visalia Rawhide as the hitting Coach in November 2011. As of 2014, He is the Hitting Coach at the Double A team of the Diamondbacks, The Mobile Baybears.
Quotes on Jacob Cruz
Legendry College Baseball Coach Jim Brock on Jacob Cruz:
"Best Left-handed Swing I've Ever Seen. I have never had anyone come this far in three years. I've coached major leaguers Barry Bonds, Pat Listach, Mike Devereaux and others and it's still not even close how far he has matured."
John Pierson ASU'S former hitting coach On Jacob Cruz in 1994:
"His body is not even close to maturing out, His bat speed and power should keep improving. I want to see him when he's 25. He has the natural instincts and the fluid movement right now. It's just a matter of maturing physically."
Bonnie Webb:
"Jacob Will Always Be remembered by the Die Hard Fans Of Shreveport, As an adopted parent in the booster club, their have only been a handful of players that I've been proud to know a Jacob Is one of those fine young men."
Gordon Webb Medical Doctor of the Shreveport Captains:
"Jacob Was never ill or injured, meaning Jacob's excellent condition and attitude will be an asset to some lucky pro team."
Ron Wotus (Triple A manager in Phoenix):
"Jacob takes this game very seriously and works very hard at it. All he really needs to play more games. Cruz has a chance to be successful in this game.”
Dusty Baker:
"The dude can play ball, he has been getting a lot of breaks and he has been taking advantage of them."
Jacob's Father:
"Jacob may not have the speed or the power some players may have, but he knows the game mentally and that makes him so much more unpredictable."
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