Oneil Cruz and a young Pirates fan jumped the gun on the looming July 31 Trade Deadline on Friday, and both sides came away winners.
Raihan Echevarria -- a 10-year-old Pirates fan -- presented Cruz with a 3D-printed, black and gold Spider-Man mask ahead of Friday’s game against the Mariners at T-Mobile Park. In return, Cruz gave Echevarria a signed bat and a pair of batting gloves.
Echevarria told SportsNet Pittsburgh that Cruz is his favorite player, while Spider-Man is his favorite superhero. The mask was born from a desire to combine his two favorite things together. Cruz kept the mask in the dugout during the game, mentioning he may wear it if he went yard.
“This feels really good, especially as a player, when you don't expect anything from the fans but they come up to you and give you a gift,” Cruz said on Saturday, through interpreter Stephen Morales. “It feels like when I was back home [in the Dominican Republic] as a kid and some of the big league guys would come down after the season and give me batting gloves and baseball stuff. It felt just like it.”
Echevarria also told SportsNet Pittsburgh that he attempts to collect gear from players during batting practice so he can send it to the Dominican Republic for those who aren’t as fortunate. But that autographed bat? He may keep that.
Cruz often resembles a superhero in the batter’s box, too, using elite bat speed to consistently make some of the loudest contact of any player in the Majors. Thanks to Echevarria, Cruz now has the appropriate mask to accompany his skillset.