DETROIT (AP) Former outfielder Jose Cruz Jr. is joining the Detroit Tigers’ coaching staff.
The team announced Tuesday that the 46-year-old Cruz will focus on hitting instruction. He played 12 years in the majors, batting .247 with 204 home runs and a .783 OPS for Seattle, Toronto, San Francisco, Tampa Bay, Arizona, Boston, the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego and Houston from 1997-2008.
This is Cruz’s first spot on a big league coaching staff. After retiring as a player, he joined the MLBPA’s player services department in 2013 and later was a television analyst for ESPN. His son, Trei, was drafted by the Tigers in the third round this year.
Cruz was selected third overall by the Mariners in the 1995 draft out of Rice University. His father was a two-time All-Star outfielder with Houston during a 19-year major league career.
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