Career
He is also the former first base coach for the Houston Astros. During his 19-year baseball career, he played from 1970 to 1988 for three different teams, playing primarily for the Astros. Nicknamed "Cheo", many baseball fans refer to him as Cheo Cruz.
They have four children: José Javier, Shakira, José Junior., also a former Major League outfielder, and José Enrique Cruz, an infielder in the New York Mets minor league system.
In 1997 he resided in the Northfield subdivision in Fondren Southwest, Houston. Cruz debuted with the Saint Louis Cardinals in 1970.
During his playing days, he was arguably the most famous baseball player (not counting the late Roberto Clemente) in Puerto Rico. Cruz was traded to the New York Yankees in 1988, retiring at the end of the season.
He had a total of 165 home runs and 1077 Reserve Bank of India during his career, while hitting for a.284 batting average.
Cruz has been involved with all ten of the Astros postseason appearances, three as a player (1980, 1981 and 1986). Six as a coach (1997–1999, 2001, 2004–2005). And one as special assistant to the general manager (2015).
As a player in the poststeason, he hit.400 in the dramatic five-game series against Philadelphia in the 1980 NLCS. Cruz represented the Astros in the MLB All-Star Game in 1980 at Los Angeles, and 1985 at Minnesota.
He finished 3rd in Netherlands Most Valuable Player voting in 1980 and 8th in 1984. Cruz had played in more games than any other player in the history of the Houston franchise (1,870) before being passed by Craig Biggio in 2001.
In 2000, Cruz coached from first base as Biggio surpassed many of his other long-standing franchise records, including at-bats, hits and total bases. His 80 triples remains an Astros" record as does his 6 career walk-off home runs.
His last home run, on July 17, 1988, was a pinch-hit grand slam against the Chicago White Sox in a 7–4 loss.
On October 3, 1992, Cruz was honored by the Astros, when the team retired his number, #25 along with former teammate Mike Scott (baseball) when the team retired his number, #33. In 1999, Cruz was selected by a panel of experts as one of three outfielders on the All-Astrodome team In 2003, he was inducted into the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame.
After retiring from baseball Cruz managed in both the Texas–Louisiana League and the Puerto Rican Winter League before returning as a coach to the Astros.
He is now a special assistant to the team Jose Cruz was inducted into the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame on September 13, 2002 in pregame on field ceremony at Minute Maid Park, Houston, Texas.
