The great Dominican outfielder Nelson Cruz gave me the lowdown on superstar outfielder Juan Soto after getting traded to the Yankees this past weekend.
Nelson just retired after a beautiful 17-year career as a great hitter and maybe the sport’s greatest humanitarian since Muhammad Ali and Roberto Clemente.
At one time I shared a beautiful moment at the United Nations with Nelson after he had helped the people of Venezuela by transporting important health goods after an environmental catastrophe there. I got to really appreciate this incredible man and his great heart. Through the years I have gotten to know that he has always taken the time to look out for his fellow players more than he would look out for himself.
Nelson is so respected in baseball that The San Diego Padres signed him this past season as a right-handed designated hitter and a mentor to the players.
After the Soto trade, I communicated with Nelson and he told me that Soto is a truly outstanding kid that he loves a lot. Nelson said that Juan will appreciate being in New York, especially with the incredible fan base that will gravitate to him.
Because of Nelson I was able to confidently communicate with Soto and have a great conversation with him. He was surprised when I told him that I have been around the Yankees universe for 50 years.
He told me that he was really excited and felt very comfortable talking to the equipment manager Rob Cucuzza about what he would need and he appreciated the positive reinforcement that Yankee special assistant and Dominican baseball pioneer Omar Minaya gave him.
I found it very amusing when Soto talked with me about the Barber who cuts the player’s hair Jordan who is probably more popular than some of the players on the team. I’m sure that Jordan’s barber shop will be a regular stop for Soto when the season begins.
All in all, I think this is a great move for the Yankees and its fans who are looking for that player that can help finally get them to the World Series.
