DETROIT (AP) — Trei Cruz made family history with his major league debut Friday night — and his grandfather and father were there to watch.
The Detroit rookie started in right field against the Chicago White Sox and batted ninth in the Tigers’ 4-3 victory. When he took the field in the first inning in front of grandfather Jose Cruz Sr. and father José Cruz Jr., they became the fifth family to send three generations to the majors.
“I am really happy for Trei and his family,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “From a baseball standpoint, how cool is it for a family to have three generations of players? It’s a rarity.”
They joined Gus, Buddy, David and Mike Bell; Ray, Bob, Bret and Aaron Boone; Joe P., Joe H. and Casey Coleman; and Sam, Jerry, Jerry Jr. and Scott Hairston.
Cruz Sr. played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1970-74), Houston Astros (1975-87) and New York Yankees (1988) in a career that saw him put up 2,251 hits and 165 homers.
“This is my dream come true,” he said on the Tigers’ broadcast. “I wanted to see our third generation make it, and I’m so proud of Trei. He has worked so hard to get here, and I hope he is here to stay.”
José Jr. reached the majors with the Seattle Mariners in 1997, and moved to the Toronto Blue Jays later that season. He stayed there until 2002, then spent his final six seasons with San Francisco, Tampa Bay, Arizona, Boston, the Los Angeles, San Diego and the Astros.
“It has been such an exciting 24 hours since we got the news,” he said. “I’m so happy for Trei to get this moment.”
Trei took longer than his ancestors to make the majors — he turns 28 on July 5 — but when Wenceel Perez sustained facial fractures in a freak workout accident this week, he got his chance.
It wasn’t a dream debut — he struck out in each of his three plate appearances before being removed for a defensive replacement in the eighth inning — but it made him a major leaguer.
“He’s had to work hard to get here,” Hinch said. “Not everyone’s journey to the big leagues is a smooth ride. I love that he’s been tough enough to handle it.”
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