All in the Family

Baseball family adds another all-star: Cirilo Cruz Jr.

Not when he was playing in the youth baseball leagues growing up in Puerto Rico. Not while he was attending Miami Dade Community College and not in his first three years as a professional.

On June 16 at Lancaster Municipal Stadium, the 23-year old from Arroyo, Puerto Rico, will finally take the field as an all-star. Cruz will start at first base for the Valley Division in the 1998 Cal League All-Star Game.

"It's kind of hard for me to believe. It's taken me so long to get here, and I didn't know for sure if I was going to make it this time," said Cruz with a modest smile creeping across his face.

Cruz's father, who goes by Tommy, has the same smile when he talks about what his son has accomplished in 1998.

"For me, personally, I'm so proud of him," Tommy said. "I feel like crying with joy when I think about it."

Tommy, who serves as the Seattle Mariners roving hitting instructor, knows first hand what it takes to be an all-star after his own 15-year professional baseball career, which saw him make it to the Major League All-Star Game in 1973 with St. Louis and 1977 with the Chicago White Sox.

"I know how hard it is to reach that level," Tommy said.

Tommy and Cirilo come from a baseball family, as both of Tommy's brothers, Jose and Hector, also played in the majors. In fact, all three brothers played in the same outfield for the Cardinals in 1973.

Jose's son, Jose Cruz Jr., played for the JetHawks in 1996 and is currently playing for the Toronto Blue Jays. Hector's son, Hector Cruz Jr., was the Arizona Diamondbacks' 11th-round selection in the draft earlier this month.

Even though baseball has a way of keeping families apart during the summer, Tommy made sure his family remained close. Cirilo and his younger brother, Alberto, who both Cirilo and Tommy say is showing promise at the age of 13, stayed with Tommy wherever he was playing after school let out. That includes the five seasons Tommy spent in Japan.

"I really don't remember much about him playing, because we'd always be in the clubhouse playing ball," Cirilo admits. "When I was 17, I remember watching him and wondering what it would be like to play professionally."

It didn't take long for Cirilo to find out. In 1995, he was signed to a free-agent contract by Mariners scout Fernando Arguelles.

Tommy, who has now been a coach in the Mariners organization for eight seasons, did his best to help his son land a job, keeping the Mariners' scouting department informed of his progress.

"I kept telling them, he can play," Tommy said. "I'm happy I was the guy who helped make it happen for him."

But before Cirilo, who started his career as a third baseman, signed his contract, he made sure that was all the extra help his father would give him. From now on, the extra help had to come in the form of coaching.

"I told him I didn't want to be treated like his son," Cirilo said. "I wanted to be treated like a player."

That arrangement was immediately put to the test in 1995, when Cirilo began his professional career in Peoria. Tommy was in his first of three years as a coach with the rookie-level club at the time.

"He definitely wasn't easy on me," Cirilo said. "The other guys would take 20 grounders, and he'd make me take 60."

The extra work paid off, as Cirilo hit .308 with 22 runs scored and 20 RBI in 39 games.

He moved up to short-season Class A Everett in 1996 and split time between Class A Wisconsin and Lancaster last season. In 43 games with the JetHawks, Cirilo hit .270 with 22 runs scored, 25 RBI and his first professional home run.

In the first half this year, he's added five homers to that total and is tied for the Cal League lead with 45 RBI. He's hitting .303 with 36 runs scored and 18 doubles.

Plus, he always seems to pick up the key two-out hit when the JetHawks need it most.

"I always like to be in that situation," Cirilo said. "I like to feel the pressure on me. I feel comfortable with it."

One of the main reasons for the right-hander's success this year is his ability to go the other way with the ball - something he and his father worked on."

"I've seen a lot of players in this league," Tommy said. "And I don't see that many that handle the bat better than he does."

That's said as Cirilo's coach, not his father. And there is a big difference.

"When I come here, I'm happy to see him, but I'm happy to see all the players," Tommy said. "I want to see him succeed, but I want to see everybody else succeed too. I come here to see everybody and to help them become better hitters.

"I've spent a lot of time in the cages with (Luis) Tinoco, (Brendan) Kingman and (Jason) Regan and I've thrown a lot of B.P. to (Jayson) Bass and all these guys. I'm happy to see all of them hitting well, not just Cirilo."

But when they're away from The Hangar, there's no doubt that the time they spend together is special. Tommy stays with Cirilo and his host family, Sam and Barbara Maston, when he's in town.

When Tommy's working with another affiliate, the two are in contact on the phone every day.

"It's funny. I call him when I have a bad day and make him call me when I do good," Cirilo said.

Tommy was certainly happy to make that call last week when he heard Cirilo would be playing in the Cal League All-Star Game.

"It's a great honor for him," Tommy said. "It's a great honor for this organization. It means he's doing well, and it means the Mariners are doing well."

`I like to feel the pressure on me. I feel comfortable with it.'

- Cirilo Cruz Jr.,
JetHawks' first baseman