After 19 seasons, Nelson Cruz called it a career on Thursday. From seven All-Star Game appearances to four Silver Slugger Awards, eight clubs and one American League Championship Series MVP, Cruz had a long and legendary MLB career.

Here are 10 moments that have defined Cruz’s career:

1) Walk-off grand slam in Game 2 of the 2011 ALCS
It’s not the play that Rangers fans remember most for that 2011 postseason run, but it was arguably the most important of Cruz’s career. Cruz homered off Detroit’s Max Scherzer earlier in the game, but that shot into the left-field stands would leave the score tied until Cruz stepped up to the plate again in the 11th. Texas loaded the bases with no outs after three consecutive singles from Michael Young, Adrián Beltré and Mike Napoli. Cruz then launched a towering homer into the stands at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, smashing the first walk-off grand slam in MLB postseason history.

2) The entire 2011 ALCS
As a matter of fact, the entire ALCS run was one of the best of Cruz’s career, as he helped the Rangers to a second consecutive AL pennant. Cruz tortured the Tigers’ pitching staff relentlessly for all six games. Including his walk-off grand slam in Game 2, Cruz hit .364 with six home runs in the series. All eight of his hits went for extra bases, and he easily claimed the ALCS MVP Award. The turnaround meant even more considering he went 1-for-15 with five strikeouts in the ALDS against the Rays.

"It was [Cruz's] series," said then-Rangers first-base coach Gary Pettis. "What can you say? He did it all. He played defense. He swung the bat. He drove in runs. We're glad he's on our team."

3) 400th career home run
Cruz became the 57th member of the 400-home club on Sept. 22, 2019, at Target Field, launching an opposite-field solo shot off Kansas City reliever Gabe Speier in the fourth inning of a 12-8 Twins victory. With the shot, Cruz also became the ninth Dominican-born player to reach 400 homers.

"Growing up, I never thought to be able to hit that many home runs," Cruz said days before reaching the milestone. "It's definitely a blast to be a part of baseball history. So it's just, I guess, one season at a time, grow to the moment."

4) Game 161 homer to keep Seattle’s playoff hopes alive
The Mariners hadn't made the playoffs since 2001, but Cruz brought them as close as possible in 2016. In Game 161 that season, Cruz smashed a game-tying home run in the bottom of the seventh inning against the A’s. Seattle ultimately fell to Oakland and was eliminated from playoff contention before Game 162, but Cruz inched the Mariners closer and gave fans hope for a few short innings.

5) 300th home run
To get to 400, Cruz first had to reach 300. He did that two years earlier as a member of the Mariners, with whom he hit 163 of his 464 career home runs. In the bottom of the eighth inning in Seattle on July 7, 2017, Cruz broke open a close game against the A’s with a deep bomb into left-center field to give the Mariners a 6-2 lead. At the time, he was just the 10th active player to reach that milestone.

“That’s special,” Cruz said. “I’ve come a long way. Not only what I did in baseball in the Minors but from where I come from in the Dominican. Never in my dreams did I think about hitting 300 homers in the big leagues.”

6) Go-ahead home run in World Baseball Classic
The top non-MLB moment of Cruz’s career likely came during the 2017 World Baseball Classic with Cruz playing for the Dominican Republic. It was a powerhouse matchup between Team USA and the Dominican Republic at Marlins Park and the Americans held a 5-0 lead through seven innings. But the D.R. wasn’t done, trimming the lead to 5-3 in the eighth inning. Cruz came up to bat and promptly launched a go-ahead three-run homer to put the Dominican Republic up by one run in a game it eventually won, 7-5.

7) Three-homer game against the White Sox
Just weeks before Cruz reached the 400-homer milestone in 2019, he pushed himself three closer in one game. Cruz’s career day against the White Sox and Lucas Giolito featured three swats in one game during a 10-3 Twins victory on July 25. It was the first time Cruz hit three home runs in one game in his career.

All three homers traveled farther than 430 feet: a 473-footer over the left-field wall in the first inning, a 433-foot shot to deep center in the third and a 430-footer to right-center in the fifth. The game made Cruz the first player in the Statcast era with three homers of 430-plus feet in a game.

“There’s no way to compare. When you see him hit balls, sometimes you think they’re very unique swings, and they’re very unique off the bat,” Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli said after the game. “You don’t see very many balls hit like that, even when you watch a ton of games. You don’t see very many balls leave the ballpark like that. Sometimes, you can’t really believe what you’re watching. It’s that impressive.”

Perhaps even more impressive, Cruz enjoyed another three-homer game just 10 days later.

8) Entire age-38 season
Cruz had one of the best hitting seasons for a player over 35 years old in 2019, the same season he hit his 400th home run. He slashed .311/.392/.639 with a 1.031 OPS and 41 home runs while filling a designated-hitter role in his first season with Minnesota. He also notched his third Silver Slugger Award.

"I think it is a lot of work, and I make sure I do my weights. Make sure I sleep well, rest,” Cruz said of his success. “I think for anybody, if you can have experience in your job, you can do a lot of things when your body feels good and the experience helps."

9) Oldest player to hit 30 homers
Sticking with the veteran theme, Cruz reached another milestone two years later. On Sept. 7, 2021, at 41 years old, Cruz became the oldest player to hit 30 homers in a season, splitting his accomplishment between the Rays and Twins. His two-homer night against the Red Sox pushed him past David Ortiz’s 2016 season and Darrell Evans’ 1987 when they were both 40.

"That's definitely a privilege. David Ortiz means so much to baseball, also he's Dominican," Cruz said after the game. "So, it's an honor to be by his side."

10) First MLB hit with the Brewers
You never forget your first hit. And Cruz got his first in an otherwise unimportant Sept. 28, 2005, game with the Brewers. A double late in the game as a defensive replacement against the Reds was his lone hit with Milwaukee. He appeared in just eight games for the Brewers and opened 2006 at Triple-A before he was traded to the Rangers.