Pirates' Oneil Cruz Meets Yankees Legend
Two years ago when the Pittsburgh Pirates last made the trip to Yankee Stadium, Oneil Cruz got to have a conversation with former New York Yankees outfielder Paul O'Neill.
This time, they were both in the same place and able to meet each other for the first time. For Cruz, meeting the person he was named after
"Very excited to finally meet him," Cruz said via Pirates coach and interpreter Stephen Morales. "I feel really happy with the story behind it that my dad put my name Oneil because of Paul O'Neill. It's my pleasure to finally meet him."
Cruz was born in 1998, the same year the Yankees swept the San Diego Padres to win their third consecutive World Series and set the record for most wins in the regular season by an American League team at the time. O'Neill was grateful for the honor of Cruz being named after him, especially given the star-filled roster the Yankees had that season.
"When you hear these stories about Yankee fans and naming their children, it's quite an honor," O'Neill said. "I saw he's born in 1998, so that was a wonderful year for us. I must have had a good game. I mean he could have been Tino or Jeter or anybody."
Cruz's father, Rafael Cruz, played three seasons in the minors.
O'Neill was instrumental in the Yankees' success that season, batting .317 with 24 home runs and 116 RBIs en route to making the All-Star team for the fifth and final time in his career. O'Neill batted over. 300 in the first six seasons of his tenure with New York and won the batting title in 1994. He also went on to win the World Series four times with the Yankees and won it once with the Cincinnati Reds in 1990.
O'Neill's No. 21 is among the plethora of jersey numbers that have been retired by the Yankees.
O'Neill was also complimentary of what he has seen from Cruz and what he expects from the Pirates center fielder.
"I'm pretty impressed with the way he looks," O'Neill said. "Obviously, he's got a bright future."
