Former Mariners and White Sox second baseman Julio Cruz passed away this week, per an announcement from the Mariners. Cruz, who followed a 10-year playing career with a lengthy career as a Spanish-language broadcaster for the Mariners, was 67 years of age. His family said via a statement that he “passed away peacefully” at home yesterday while “surrounded by his loving family.”
“The Seattle Mariners were saddened to learn of the passing of former Mariners second baseman and current broadcaster Julio Cruz,” the team said in its own statement announcing Cruz’s passing. “Our thoughts and sympathies are with his loved ones, including his wife, Mojgan, three sons, Austin, Alexander and Jourdan, and their families.”
A member of the Mariners’ inaugural roster in 1977, Cruz hit .256/.336/.296 as a rookie that season before stepping up and solidifying himself as a regular in 1978. While power was never his calling card, Cruz averaged 50 stolen bases per year from 1978-83, swiping bags at an outstanding 83.5% success rate along the way. He was the Mariners’ all-time leader in steals prior to being overtaken by future Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki, and Cruz still ranks second all-time in franchise history in that regard.
Traded to the White Sox in a 1983 deal that sent fellow second baseman Tony Bernazard back to Seattle, Cruz went on to spend parts of four seasons with the South Siders, for whom he swiped another 53 bags in 72 tries. All told, Cruz logged 1156 games in the Majors over a decade-long career and batted .237/.321/.299 with 23 home runs, 113 doubles, 27 triples, 343 stolen bases, 557 runs scored and 279 runs knocked in. He went 4-for-12 with a pair of steals for the ChiSox in their 1983 ALCS loss to the Orioles — his only postseason experience over that ten-year stretch in the big leagues.
“The ’Cruzer’ was the catalyst of that 1983 Western Division championship team,” White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement today. “When Roland Hemond acquired him that summer, the team just took off. Julio became our igniter, and his positive energy was contagious in the clubhouse, in the dugout and on the field. Sox fans will always remember him dashing across home plate with the division-clinching run. The White Sox organization sends its heartfelt condolences to Julio’s family and many friends.”
Cruz’s final pro season came back in 1988, but he ultimately returned to the Mariners in 2003, joining their Spanish-language broadcast team — a role he held up through the 2021 season. He also took pride in charitable work in Seattle, as the Mariners further noted in their statement on his passing:
“Cruz remained deeply involved in youth baseball and other community causes, including Toys for Kids, and breast & prostate cancer awareness. In 2016, he was recognized as the Mariners’ first-ever SEAT 21 honoree. SEAT 21 was created by Major League Baseball to recognize community members who embody Roberto Clemente’s humanitarian spirit.”
We at MLB Trade Rumors offer condolences to the friends, family, loved ones and fans of Cruz, as well as to both the Mariners and White Sox organizations as they mourn his loss.
RIP Julio
Very sad. It seems a lot of athletes don’t live nearly as long as the average life expectancy. I know 67 isn’t super young compared to other players like Giambi who passed recently but it’s still about 10-20 years younger than the average life expectancy. Does anyone know the average life expectancy for a professional athlete? I would have thought it would be high because they are the pinnacle of health. It just seems like a lot of young ones have left us in the past couple years.
Probably the same reason Hammering Hank passed.
Probably the same reason Ken Caminiti passed. PEDs shorten your life.
Henry Aaron was 86.
Thoughts and prayers.
@ Halo11: Aaron was 86. I consider that pretty normal. I’m not sure how much of Caminiti’s life was very short but I don’t know how much of it was tied to steroids and how much of it was tied to crack. He definitely juiced a lot and looked like it. He also used cocaine while he was a major leaguer. I read a year or two before he died about how addicted to crack he was and was basically living like a homeless person most nights. I think they both probably contributed but my guess is Caminiti’s crack smoking lifestyle contributed to his death at least as much as steroids did. I’m not bringing up the word “crack” to make fun of him or anything. Those were the words he used. He was very open about the fact that he was smoking it and struggling late in life. As much as it’s easy to make fun of guys like him and Strawberry and Gooden, I feel really bad for them. It was hard for them to handle and it seems like baseball chewed them up and spit them out like the music industry frequently does to artists. It’s definitely a blessing to get there but you have to know how to handle it. In Caminiti’s case I think he got used to dealing with drug dealers when he started using steroids because everyone else did at the same time. I think the crack came well after the steroid abuse for Caminiti and obviously the steroid abuse came with his desire to compete with MLB players during the steroid era. That’s kind of why I get disgusted when people talk about steroid excuse should be overlooked. So people realize how many Ken Caminiti’s of the world there would be if steroids were ever considered okay. Drugs are drugs and drugs hurt people. Caminiti is proof and he is one of the few who benifited so much from steroids that he actually won an MVP. What about all the guys who didn’t win MVPs but ended up similar to him? Sad.
I’m talking Aaron died a couple weeks after getting his second vaccine. I wouldn’t be surprised if Julio just recently got his shots. Caminiti died from acute intoxication from mixing cocaine and opiates.
Jesus dude wtf
Julio Cruz didn’t use PED’s
I dunno man. I know the average life expectancy for a US male is 78, but a lot of dudes seem die in their 60’s. Not just athletes.
A friend of mine who is a few years older noted that when he turned 60 that he had entered a decade that if he died no one would be shocked. I thought about it for a second because he was (and still is) quite healthy. I told him I would certainly be surprised. He abruptly stopped me in mid conversation. Yes, he responded, surprised it the correct word now, but no longer shocked. I thought about it and realized he was right. Turning 60 is probably the first decade in a person’s life when dying won’t be considered a shock. 70s? No surprise at all. So, yeah, good chance you’ll make it to your 80s, even beyond, but turning 60 is sort of a new chapter. I’m clinging to my 50s!
@RobM: So true. Very wise words from someone who has lived longer than most of us. I live talking with older people because they can always open your eyes to something. It doesn’t matter how smart they are or what you think about them. Someone who has lived decades longer than you has always seen and noticed things you never have.
50% of the American population that turns 65 wont celebrate their 75th birthday. Source: I am a life insurance actuary.
It is the nature of averages that a significant fraction of people end up below the average. And those who die at what seems like too young an age tend to stand out in our minds more than the many who die at 80 or so.
Usually those who draw the short stick do so for one of three reasons: Genetics, lifestyle, diet
It’s not just a coincidence that some countries have a far longer life expectancy than others. Heck, there’s a village in Italy where literally a third of it’s entire population is over 100 years old. That’s nearly 300 centenarians in that one village!
*Future* Hall of Famer, Ichiro Suzuki.
Augh, yes. Thank you. Obviously what I meant, but a silly slip on my part. Appreciate the heads up.
I’m sure he’s in some HOF already!
Seems like I’m noticing these deaths more than in prior years.
he is in the Meikyukai already, so sorta
So sad. He was young still.
He was a fun player to watch. Lightning quick on the bases and a very good defensive second baseman as well. R.I.P.
Way to young. RIP Julio. Enjoy heaven.
I feel like his nickname was “Juice” – at least with the Sox
I also seem to recall that he had some crazy deal with Chicago that paid him for many years, similar to Bobby Bonilla. Or am I thinking of someone else?
I remember the Herald Examiner Sports headline where the Angels signed Julio Cruz as a free agent. Whoops.
White Sox were a sub .500 team when they acquired the Juice in mid-June of 1983. They played around .700 ball thereafter. Dominant team. Curse you, Dybber.
RIP juice
In 1976, Julio and Thad Bosley stole 158 bases for the Salinas Angels. After a home game where I saw Julio hit his only home run that season (batting left handed to center field), I followed him and his group after the game to a party. I crashed the gathering of 30 and had a wonderful time. Julio was the light and life of the party and stared at me as if to say “you don’t belong here but you seem harmless”.
Sorry to hear this. I’m old enough to remember Julio’s career. He was a lot of fun to watch. 343 stolen bases in only 1,156 games is pretty impressive.
And a sweet 82% success rate. That’s gettin’ it done.
Condolences to his loved ones.
If I remember right, He was drafted from the Angels in the expansion draft along with other Angels ,Bruce Bochte and and OF Dave Collins.
Which led Dave Collins to ask: “Who the Angels protecting in the draft, Thier secretaries?
the 50 plus steals per season average is even more impressive when you realize that, between the strike in 1981 and the fact he missed games in several seasons he stole over 300 bases in just under 5 full seasons (and did it in an era where the average caught stealing rate was more like 35 percent, while he was only tossed out at about half that rate).
on top of that, was a hell of a nice guy and gave back to his community.
RIP Julio, you will be missed.
Julio was a tremendous athlete at Redlands High School in Southern California. In addition to his exceptional tools on the diamond, few people knew that at 5-9 he could dunk a basketball! RIP to Julio and his family …
RIP Julio Cruz. He was Javy Baez long before anyone ever heard of Baez. Great Base runner and fielder and was always a team guy.
Javy Baez has some power and a fraction of the speed Julio had. I’d compare Julio Cruz more to Otis Nixon. I’m guessing your comparison is they were both middle infielders. No power tons of speed. The kind of guys every MLB team should have a couple of on the active roster. Unfortunately stolen bases have little value anymore. How I miss guys like Rickey Henderson!
I can still hear Dave Niehaus after a slick double play with Tod Cruz and Julio, “Yes! The Cruz Connection!”
Julio was the real thing back in his day.
Sometimes I wish we could all go back there.