Mariners' Cruz declines Home Run Derby invitation, thanks fans for All-Star votes
Despite being among the league leaders in home runs thanks to his prolific start to his Seattle Mariners career, slugger Nelson Cruz will not take part in the Home Run Derby during All-Star Week.
Cruz made the announcement on Tuesday night, and cited the same reason he gave the Baltimore Orioles for opting out of the event last season.
As he told Greg Johns of MLB.com, he's all about the team: "I'd love to do it, but at the same time, I have to think about my teammates and my team. If I go there, it can wear me out for two or three days, and it's not fair for my team. It's just the way it is."
Cruz was in the Derby back in 2009, but he hasn't returned since due to the physical strain it puts on his body. As he told Johns: "It is [taxing]. I was there once, and especially the last round is tough. I don't blame the guys that want to go because I know it's really fun and the fans deserve to see the show. But I think the team is more important than anything else."
Cruz also thanked baseball fans for voting for him for the All-Star Game itself. Cruz holds a slight lead over Kansas City Royals DH Kendrys Morales with voting coming to an end on Thursday - but even if he loses, Cruz told Johns, he's appreciative of the chance: "Even if I get less votes, I'm always going to thank the fans because they take time on a daily basis to go there and vote. You should recognize that, even if you don't get that many votes or don't get elected by the fans. You always have to appreciate everything they do. It's a lot of media and tweets and stuff going on. I definitely feel blessed. Eight million votes is definitely special."
Nelson Cruz's take on All-Star support is a slightly more appreciative approach than the ambivalence some players show (when they downplay the entire thing in favor of 'it's all about helping the team win' platitudes). As his quotes show, Cruz is obviously very thankful for the support, even if he doesn't end up with a starting spot.