Cruz, Ocampo to represent Astros at MLB Draft
HOUSTON -- A decorated member of the Astros' past and one of the men tasked with scouting the franchise's future will help usher in the next crop of Houston Astros.
Jose Cruz, a two-time All-Star for Houston during the 1980s, and Astros director of international Oz Ocampo were announced Tuesday as the team's representatives at next month's Major League Baseball Draft.
The 2013 First-Year Player Draft will take place from June 6-8, beginning with the Draft preview show on MLB.com and MLB Network on Thursday, June 6, at 6 p.m. ET. Live Draft coverage from MLB Network's Studio 42 begins at 7 p.m., with the top 73 picks being streamed on MLB.com and broadcast on MLB Network. Rounds 3-10 will be streamed live on MLB.com on June 7, beginning with a preview show at 12:30 p.m., and Rounds 11-40 will be streamed live on MLB.com on June 8, starting at 1 p.m.
MLB.com's coverage includes Draft Central, the Top 100 Draft Prospects list and Draft Tracker, a live interactive application that includes a searchable database of Draft-eligible players. You can also keep up to date by following @MLBDraft on Twitter. And get into the Draft conversation by tagging your tweets with #mlbdraft.
Cruz won two Silver Sluggers with the Astros, held the franchise record for most games played (1,870) until Craig Biggio eclipsed the mark in 2001 and has his number 25 jersey hanging in the Minute Maid Park rafters. It was retired in 1992.
He was also prominently involved in all of the Astros' nine playoff appearances, three as a player from 1980-86 and six more as an assistant coach between '97 and 2005.
Ocampo was hired last August after working as a specialist in International Baseball Operations for Major League Baseball's Commissioner's Office for nearly two seasons.
Ocampo primarily oversees the team's global scouting and player development programs, and he represents the Astros' brand across the world.
The Astros have the first pick in the First-Year Player Draft for the fourth time in franchise history and the second year in a row.