Hector de la Cruz
Hector Julio de la Cruz
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 2", Weight 155 lb.
- Born October 12, 1965 in Sabana Perdida D.R.
Biographical Information[edit]
IF/OF Hector de la Cruz played in the Toronto Blue Jays organization from 1984 to 1990. He then played in NPB in 1991, CPBL in 1992-1997, and Mexican League until 1999.
From 2001 to 2004, de la Cruz was a minor league coach in the Arizona Diamondbacks system. It appears he split the 2001 season between the DSL Diamondbacks, the Missoula Osprey, and the South Bend Silver Hawks. He was a hitting coach for the Osprey in 2002 and the Silver Hawks in 2003-2004. From 2005 to 2006, he managed Missoula of the Pioneer League. After the 2006 season he was named manager of the Visalia Oaks in the California League, and a year later, he became skipper of the Mobile BayBears of the Southern League. He returned to the Osprey in 2010-2011 and managed the AZL Diamondbacks in 2012.
There is no record of de la Cruz managing or coaching in 2013-2015. He joined the Los Angeles Angels organization in 2016 and served as the DSL Angels skipper from 2016-2022 and is scheduled to return in 2023.
De la Cruz also has an extensive record coaching in the Dominican League during the winter months. He may have coached for the Tigres del Licey for a few years. During the 2006/2007 season he was named manager of the Leones del Escogido after two previous managers had been fired. It is not clear if he finished the year as manager or not. De la Cruz started the 2007/2008 season with Licey, but replaced Tim Tolman as manager on January 19, 2008 in the midst of the playoffs. In an odd twist, Licey lost to the Águilas Cibaeñas team in the playoffs, but was invited to play in the Caribbean Series to replace Puerto Rico who was unable to field a team that year. The Tigres took advantage of this second chance and won the Caribbean Series title under de la Cruz.
Here are further details about his coaching and managing career in the Dominican.
- Start - 12/9/2008 Manager Licey
- 12/11/2008 - end, 2008/2009 Assistant manager Escogido
- 2009 Hitting coach for the Dominican Republic in the 2009 World Baseball Classic
- 11/1/2011 - end, 2011/2012 Gigantes del Cibao
- Start - 12/20/2012 Manager Cibao
- 1/11 - end, 2013 Manager Toros del Este
- 11/25/2013 - end, 2013/2014 Manager Estrellas Orientales
- 2016/2017 - 2018/2019 Third base coach Licey
- 2019/2020 Defensive coach Licey
- 2022/2023 Third base coach Cibao
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