Luis Cruz, newest member of Dodgers Spanish-language broadcast team, remains fan favorite

Twelve years later, the chants hadn’t changed.

Back in 2012, Luis Cruz became a cult hero around Dodger Stadium. He arrived as an under-the-radar journeyman, a Mexican utility player signed to a minor league contract. Then he emerged as an unexpected fan favorite, batting .297 with 20 doubles, 40 RBIs and a signature reception from the crowd whenever he came to the plate.

“Cruuuuuz!”

Three months ago, Cruz heard those chants again.

Though he never replicated the highs of his 2012 season and was out of the major leagues by the end of 2013, Cruz has remained a beloved figure at Chavez Ravine over the last decade. So much so that when he was welcomed back for the player alumni weekend in August, it was the 40-year-old who played just 123 games for the Dodgers who received one of the louder ovations, with pockets of the fans chanting “Cruuuuz!” as if he’d never left.

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“I was like, ‘Wow, this is unbelievable,’” Cruz said. “Because they still remembered. I played there in 2012. It’s been 12 years. But they made me feel welcome. The true Dodger fans, they remember everything.”

This week the Dodgers officially welcomed Cruz back as a member of the organization, hiring him as a color analyst for the Spanish-language radio broadcasts alongside Pepe Yñiguez and José Mota.

“The level of excitement these couple days have been really, really high,” Cruz said in a phone interview Thursday from Mexico, where he was finishing his playing career in his country’s winter league. “Like in 2012, [the Dodgers have] embraced me and made me feel welcome. As soon as they announced it, the first call I got was Pepe and José welcoming me to the team.”

The social media response blew Cruz away too.

“My Instagram was crazy,” Cruz said with a laugh. “A lot of fans saying ‘Cruuuz, welcome back!’ It was so many messages that I’m like, ‘Wow, it’s been 12 years.’ But those are true fans.”

Cruz’s arrival in 2012 was memorable, setting the stage for the best run of his career, which included a four-season stint in Japan from 2014 to 2017, then seven seasons in Mexico’s winter league since.

After being called up in early July, Cruz quickly became the Dodgers’ everyday third baseman. In 73 starts, he collected two or more hits 23 times. On a team that remained in the playoff hunt until the season’s final weeks, only Matt Kemp posted a higher batting average.

“It was like a dream come true,” Cruz said. “Being Mexican, and going to the States, and making it to the big leagues and getting to the Dodgers, it’s a big deal … When I got the chance to play in Los Angeles, that’s when I really felt like I was in the big leagues. It was my shot.”

One of Cruz’s most important mentors that year: Dodgers pitching great and Spanish-language broadcaster Fernando Valenzuela.

Cruz had family connections to the Dodgers icon. Cruz is from Navojoa, where Valenzuela began his career in the late ’70s. Cruz’s father played with Valenzuela, the two becoming such good friends that Valenzuela occasionally joined the Cruz family for meals at their home. Later, Cruz was teammates with Valenzuela’s son in the San Diego Padres’ system.

So when Cruz showed up in the Dodgers clubhouse in 2012, Valenzuela became one of his biggest backers, offering him daily doses of encouragement and support.

“He was a big part for me in 2012,” Cruz said. “We always talked about: ‘Hey, stay concentrated. Just pretend like you’re playing in Navojoa. Pretend like you’re playing in the backyard. Just relax.’”

Read more: Remembering Dodgers legend Fernando Valenzuela | 1960-2024

Cruz will try to take the same mindset into the beginning of his broadcasting career, joining a Spanish-language booth still reeling from Valenzuela’s death last month.

“Fernando was Fernando, and I’m not trying to take anybody’s place,” Cruz said. “He’s always gonna be remembered as one of the greatest pitchers for the Dodgers. And for me, I’m just trying to do my job and learn … I know it’s big shoes to fill. But I’m just looking for an opportunity for me to do my best.”

In Los Angeles, he’ll do so with a fan base that never forgot him and welcomed him back with open arms.

“Maybe they were little kids [back in 2012], or maybe they were young guys and now they’re older like me,” Cruz said. “And they just — I don’t know — made me feel really good, welcoming me that way.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.