Former MLB CF Cameron Maybin reminisces playing alongside Nelson Cruz in Seattle: "One of the best teammates I ever had"
Former World Series champion turned sportscaster Cameron Maybin asserted that Nelson Cruz was his best teammate during his short MLB career playing with various teams. Maybin and Cruz spent the 2018 season with the Mariners and created a magical tie between them.
"There's a reason why he was able to stick around, not only because of his play but what he brought to a clubhouse," Cameron Maybin on the retirement of his former teammate.
"One of the best teammates I ever had," Maybin added.
After a stellar career that included seven all-star selections, four Silver Slugger trophies, and the 2011 ALCS MVP with the Texas Rangers, Nelson Cruz announces his retirement. The 43-year-old concluded his career with 1,325 RBI, a .856 OPS, and 464 home runs, the sixth-highest among Dominican players.
Cruz played for the Rangers, Orioles, Mariners, Twins, Rays, Nationals, Padres, and Mariners before making his MLB debut in 2005 with the Brewers. He played 49 games for the Padres in the previous season before being cut in early July.
Cameron Maybin had a short but exciting MLB career that involved him playing for ten different teams from 2007 to 2021. In 2018, he was traded to the Mariners from the World Series roster of the Halos. Cruz had already signed a contract with Seattle in 2015, so he teamed up with Maybin, where the two revitalized the Mariners' fans and made some amazing plays.
Nelson Cruz retires after a prolific career in the big leagues
Six months after signing a $1 million, one-year contract, Cruz was waived by the San Diego Padres on July 10. Using the designated hitter position most of the time, he batted .245 with five home runs and twenty-three RBIs in 49 games this season.
He has 1,325 RBIs and is a 274-hitter across eight clubs. In addition to becoming the MVP of the 2011 ALCS while playing for the Texas Rangers, he has won several accolades with various ballclubs.
Among his many accolades were a Roberto Clemente Award, four Silver Sluggers, seven All-Star teams, and numerous more awards. He played four times for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic, winning the competition in 2013.