Childhood Interests and Early Pursuits

As a child, Cruz was more interested in basketball than baseball. Inspired by Michael Jordan, he was even a member of the Dominican Republic Junior National Basketball Team. He attended the high school where his father taught history. In addition to his academic and athletic pursuits, Cruz worked in various jobs as a teenager, including helping his uncle at a tractor factory and shining and repairing shoes.

Professional Baseball Beginnings

Cruz began his professional baseball career in 1998 when he signed with the New York Mets as a non-drafted free agent. In 2000, he was traded to the Oakland Athletics, where he played in the minor leagues until 2004. That year, he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in a deal involving infielder Keith Ginter. Cruz played in the Brewers' minor league system before being traded to the Texas Rangers in 2006.

Major League Debut and Career Growth

Nelson Cruz made his Major League Baseball debut on September 17, 2005, for the Milwaukee Brewers in a game against the Houston Astros. In 2006, after being traded, he joined the Texas Rangers. He hit his first Major League home run that year against Willie Eyre of the Minnesota Twins.

While Cruz struggled during spring training in 2007, he ended on a strong note by hitting three home runs in the final week. In 2009, he was selected to his first MLB All-Star Game, replacing an injured Torii Hunter. In 2011, Cruz and teammate Ian Kinsler became the first pair of teammates in Major League Baseball history to hit home runs in each of the first three games of a season.