Mitchell Stubbs Director - Marketing and Advertising | Official Website
Mitchell Stubbs Director - Marketing and Advertising | Official Website
On Saturday, Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz met his namesake, former Yankees outfielder and current broadcaster Paul O'Neill. The two had previously interacted through a video chat and exchanged a jersey when the Pirates played at Yankee Stadium in 2022. This time, they met in person at Yankee Stadium.
“When you hear these stories about Yankees fans naming their children, it’s quite an honor, really,” O’Neill said. “I saw he was born in 1998. It was a wonderful year for us [a World Series victory]. I must have had a good game. It could have been Tino [Martinez] or [Derek] Jeter or anyone.”
Cruz's father, Rafael -- a Minor League infielder -- was an O’Neill fan and shared stories about the Yankees' outfielder with his son throughout his life.
“Very excited to just finally meet him,” Cruz said, via interpreter and Pirates coach Stephen Morales. “We had a phone conversation not that long ago about that. … It’s my pleasure to finally meet him.”
“He’s not a little guy,” O’Neill commented on Cruz's stature. “I’m pretty impressed with the way he looks, and obviously he’s got a bright future.”
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