Prized Acquisition

Nelson Cruz (seen here June 22nd against the Yankees) has been a difference maker since joining the Orioles. After a 50-game suspension during his "walk year" for the Rangers, he found few nibbles on the free agent market. In fact, the Mets -- to their ongoing regret -- snapped the offensively challenged Chris Young long before Cruz landed a deal with Baltimore. Bashing the skeptics, Cruz has delivered one big hit after another -- yesterday, he went 5-for-5 including his 27th home run as the 1st place O's defeated the Red Sox at Fenway Park. 27 homers, ties him for the league lead, as do his 70 RBIs.
Sure, Cruz will be under a cloud of suspicion the rest of his career. But in a time of increased testing for banned substances, he has shined so far. And that's still the bottom line, helping your team to win.

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