When Dominican fans went wild with Nelson Cruz's incredible moonshot at the 2017 World Baseball Classic
In the 2017 World Baseball Classic, San Diego Padres designated hitter and right fielder Nelson Cruz thrilled Dominican fans with an incredible moonshot and led his home country to a 7-5 win over Team USA. It wasn't just DR fans who were celebrating Cruz's dinger. Nelson was equally overwhelmed to get the opportunity to give the fans a memorable experience.
“It was crazy, it was loud, the fans they never give up," said Nelson rejoicing the stellar home run. "They deserve it. We (Dominicans) love baseball. We breathe baseball 24/7. We have so much talent, it’s unbelievable. It was nice to get it done today."
11/03/2017: El día que Nelson Cruz estremeció los cimientos del estadio de los Marlins.
#TBThursday #WorldBaseballClassic https://t.co/WT0feythKG
"03/11/2017: The day Nelson Cruz shook the foundations of the Marlins stadium." - Pinceladas del Clasico Mundial
Nelson made his MLB debut with the Milwaukee Brewers on Sept. 17, 2005. In 17 years of his career, he has played with:
- Milwaukee Brewers (2005)
- Texas Rangers (2006–2013)
- Baltimore Orioles (2014)
- Seattle Mariners (2015–2018)
- Minnesota Twins (2019–2021)
- Tampa Bay Rays (2021)
- Washington Nationals (2022)
Padres' Nelson Cruz is now the first player/General Manager to hit a home run
Cruz, a designated hitter and right fielder with the San Diego Padres, became the general manager of the Dominican Republic in July 2022.
In an exhibition game between the DR and the Braves on Wednesday, Nelson became the first player and general manager to smash a home run.
#WorldBaseballClassicNelson Cruz - the GM of Team Dominican Republic - goes yard. 💪 #WorldBaseballClassic https://t.co/mwnoScQOTj
"Nelson- the GM of Team Dominican Republic - goes yard." - Sportsbook Review
The Dominican Republic is now the WBC fan favorite to win the trophy, backed by flamethrowers like Jeremy Pena and Manny Machado, among others.