Tony Cruz #48

Was selected by the Cardinals with the 802nd overall pick (26th round) of the 2007 first-year player draft and made his Major League debut 4 years later...was the Cardinals' primary backup catcher for 4 straight seasons from 2012-2015...in 2010 and 2011 was rated the best catcher in the Cardinals' system...was a mid-season Florida State League All-Star in 2008 and 2010...in 2004 graduated from Santaluces High School in Lantana, FL, where he was All-Palm Beach County and first-team All-State...was all-conference at Palm Beach (FL) Community College...also played at Okaloosa-Walton College in Niceville, FL.

2017

Spent the season with the Padres' Class AAA affliliate in El Paso...made 51 apps...following the season became a minor league free agent...on 12/19 was signed by the Reds to a minor league contract with an invitation to 2018 Major League spring training camp.

2015

Acquired by the Royals from St. Louis on December 2, 2015, in exchange for minor infielder Jose Martinez...Appeared in 69 games for the Cardinals, batting .204 (29-for-142) with seven doubles, a triple and two homers...made 30 starts behind the plate and played in three games at third base...Batted .241 in September (13-for-54), collecting six of his 10 extra-base hits (four doubles, one triple, one homer)...Hit .467 (7-for-15) when swinging at the first pitch...Drove in the go-ahead runs with a two-run double on May 4 vs. the Chicago Cubs...his hit broke an 8-8 tie in a game the Cubs led 5-0 at one point...Recorded a pair of two-hit games in a doubleheader at Pittsburgh on September 30...one of the hits was a two-run home run off Rob Scahill...Appeared in two of St. Louis' postseason games against the Chicago Cubs in the NLDS...started Game 4 for an injured Yadier Molina, going 1-for-4 with an RBI double...Caught the final three innings of Game 3, going 0-for-1 at the plate.

2014

Served as the team's back-up catcher for a third-straight season, making the Opening Day roster and spending the entire yearat the Major League level for a third season...Made 35 starts and played in 50 games. Cardinals went 19-16 in his starts at catcher...Started 21 games during the time Y. Molina was on the disabled list from 7/10-8/29...Caught the entire game in five of the 23 Cardinals shutout wins...Had five multi-hit games and four multi-RBI games...Batted .333 (5-15) in April and .400 (8-20) with runners in scoring position and 2 outs...Had 12 of 17 RBI on the road. Of his 17 RBI, 14 came with two outs...Threw out 5-of-23 attempted base stealers (22.7%)...His longest hitting streak of the season was a five-game stretch 6/6-24 (5-16, .313, 4 RBI)...Posted season high 3-RBI games twice (7/12 at MIL & 9/20 vs. CIN). Tallied an RBI in three straight games played (9/8-20)...Hit walk-off single in the 13th inning vs. MIL on 9/18, his second career walk-off hit (7/9/11)...Hit first home run of season on 9/19, a 3-run shot vs. CIN, the second of two game-winning RBI in consecutive games...Did not appear in the Division Series vs. Los Angeles Dodgers...His first appearance in the postseason came as a pinch hitter in League Championship Series Game 1 (0-1)...Entered LCS Game 2 in the 7th after Y. Molina left with aninjury...Caught final 4 innings in LCS Game 4...Started at catcher in LCS Game 5, his first career postseason start...Belted his first career postseason home run, and hit, with a solo shot to left field in the 4th inning off Giants Madison Bumgarner that gave the Cardinals a 3-2 lead.

2013

Was on Cardinals Opening Day roster for the second straight season. Made 28 starts and played in 51 games. Cardinals went 14-14 in his starts at catcher... Batted .370 with runners in scoring position (10-27); .385 w/2 outs & RISP (5-13)... Hit .333 (5-15) as a pinch-hitter (.268, 11-41, career)... Eleven of his 13 RBI's came in starts; Cardinals went 7-3 in games he collected an RBI... Had three multi-hit games, and had multiple-RBI in each of those games... Threw out 6-of-18 attempted base stealers (33.3%)... Threw out Russell Martin stealing twice (7/31 at PIT), the second instance in his career he threw out two runners in one game (8/2/12 at COL; Helton & Gonzalez)... Started 12 games from July 30-Aug. 14, coinciding with Molina's DL stint (7/31-8/15)... Placed on the 15-day disabled list with a left forearm injury (8/15-31), missing 16 games... Hit his lone home run at CIN (8/4) off Sam LeCure... Had a season high 3 hits 8/1 at PIT. His season high hitting streak was three games, twice: 7/10-24 and 8/4-6... Was on the postseason roster all three rounds, but did not appear in any game during the playoffs.

2012

Was on Cardinals Opening Day roster for the first time and spent his first full season in the Majors. Started 28 games at catcher. Made three straight starts twice during the season: 7/6-8 & 8/15-17. Had six multi-hit games and reached base safely in 13 of his last 14 starts. Went 2-for-3 with his first Major League home run 6/27 at MIA, and first RBI of season. Had first career triple (2 RBI) 7/7 vs. MIA, the game-winning RBI; had 7 RBI in July. Hit sac fly to tie the game in the 17th inn. vs PIT on 8/19, a 19-inning game. 2012 POSTSEASON: Was on the roster for all three rounds of the playoffs...appeared in his first game in Division Series Game 5 at Washington, catching the bottom of the 9th...was 0-1 in a pinch at-bat in the 8th of the League Championship Game 7 at San Francisco.

2011

Began the season at Memphis (AAA) but spent a large portion of the season with the Major League club as the back-up catcher due to injuries...Was recalled to St. Louis on 5/23 where he remained until an option to Memphis on 8/12. Was recalled in September (9/6) for the remainder of the season, and was with the club during the playoffs although not on the active roster...Made 11 starts in the majors including eight at catcher and one each at first base, third base and right field. Played five different positions in St. Louis including catcher, first base, second base, third base and right field...Was flawless defensively in the Majors, covering 107 total chances, 96 at catcher...Went 3-for-5 with a double in his Major League debut at SD (5/24), including a single in his first at-bat off Aaron Harang...Hit pinch hit game-ending double in the bottom of the 9th inning off the Diamondbacks' Joe Paterson vs. ARI (7/9), the first pinch hit of his MLB career...Batted .262 in his rookie season, ranking 3rd among rookie catchers (min. 50 AB). Recorded five multi-hit games...Batted .318 (14-44) with five doubles and four RBI heading into the All-Star Break...Started back-to-back games at catcher in front of his home-town crowd in South Florida vs. Marlins (8/6-7)...Threw out 50.0% (2-4) of steal attempts and posted a catchers ERA of 3.00 (33 ER/99.0 innings)...Batted .267 (4-15) as a pinch hitter with three RBI...Rated the "Best Defensive Catcher" in the Cardinals minor league system by Baseball America's Best Tools survey for the second consecutive season.

2010

Began the season at Palm Beach (A) and played in 90 games between PB, Springfield (AA) and Memphis (AAA). Earned a promotion to Springfield in June after batting .282 in 46 games. Batted .289 in 40 games at Springfield...Was ranked fourth in the Florida State League in doubles (16) at the time of his promotion...Finished the season ranked fourth on the team in doubles and ninth in RBI (25) at Palm Beach...Batted .455 (5-for-11) as a Designated Hitter at Palm Beach...Earned a spot on the 2010 Florida State League (A) All-Star team...Tied with Luis Pimentel (GCL) for the organizations longest hitting streak, an 18-gamer with Springfield from 6/15 to 7/9 that began with his second game at the Double-A level...Batted .337 (28-for-83) between Palm Beach and Springfield in the month of June with a combined eight doubles, 11 RBI and 14 runs scored...Played for the Surprise Rafters in the Arizona Fall League and batted .342 in 19 games...Batted .387 (12-for-31) in the AFL with runners in scoring position and .429 (6-for-14) as a DH...Rated the "Best Defensive Catcher" in the Cardinals minor league system by Baseball America's Best Tools survey.

2009

Played in 110 games at Springfield (AA) starting 72 at catcher, 32 at third base and two at first base...Ranked fourth on the team in both home runs (10) and doubles (25), ranked 6th among Cardinals minor leaguers in doubles...Threw out a 53.3 percent (48-90) of would-be base stealers, leading all minor league full-season catchers...Led all Texas League catchers with a .996 fielding percentage (2 errors, 536 TC) and eight double plays...Had a strong May batting .299 (26-87) with 2 HR and 13 RBI, rapping out two four-hit games (5/23 vs. TUL & 5/27 at SA).

2008

Began the conversion to catcher, splitting his time catching and playing both third base and first base while with Palm Beach (High A)...selected to the Florida State League All-Star team drawing a starting catching spot and batting clean-up...played the entire game, switching to third base midway through the game...went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI... participated in the FSL All-Star Home Run derby and finished third, hitting all home runs to the opposite field...missed the last month of the season after being placed on the D.L. on 7/25 with a left wrist tendon injury...his batting average rose each month from .235 in April to .333 in July...led Palm Beach squad with 58 RBI...played winter ball in the Hawaiian League for Honolulu where he batted .323 over 26 games, mostly playing behind the plate.

2007

Moved through four levels of the club's organization after being drafted in June...combined to hit .295 while playing third base in all 66 of his games...spent the majority of his time at Quad Cities where he hit .338 in July after arriving on 7/13...had seven straight games with RBI upon his arrival with QC and batted .348 (16-46) during 10-game hitting streak 7/17-27...hit .377 with 26 RBI with RISP while at QC.