Oneil Cruz name, explained: How Yankees legend Paul O'Neill influenced name of Pirates star

There aren't galore players for illustration Oneil Cruz.

The Pirates shortstop is simply a towering beingness connected nan gem — literally. At 6-7, Cruz is 1 of baseball's tallest-ever position players. He strikes fearfulness into opposing pitchers pinch each lumbering trot into nan batter's box. It's easy to spot why. Cruz hits nan shot harder than immoderate different subordinate successful MLB and is renowned for moonshots that creation done nan nighttime entity successful Pittsburgh.

In a awesome galore ways, Cruz is simply a shot anomaly. He, too, has predecessors, though, including 1 whose bequest is stamped rather virtually connected Cruz's identity: erstwhile Yankees and Reds outfielder Paul O'Neill.

With that, here's what you request to cognize astir Cruz, O'Neill, and nan funny relationship they stock by measurement of Cruz's unsocial first name.

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Oneil Cruz name, explained

Cruz’s first sanction is nary coincidence. It’s a testament to his father’s passion for nan athletics that Cruz would yet prima in.

The communicative goes arsenic follows: Cruz's father, Rafael, is an avid Yankees enthusiast who spent 3 years successful nan minors. The Bronx Bombers were astatine their pinnacle successful 1998, capturing their third-straight World Series pinch a expanse of nan Padres.

O'Neill was 1 of New York's starring lights during its triumph. The then-35-year-old deed .317 pinch 24 homers and 116 RBIs successful nan regular season.

Perhaps it was his elegant hitting, aliases possibly it was O'Neill's awesome scope and limb successful nan outfield that play — he produced 11 full area fielding runs. Regardless, Cruz's begetter was entranced. So, to salary homage to 1 of his favourite players, he named his boy aft him. The title proved thing of a premonition.

"In my hometown, ever since I was a child, everyone utilized to presume my sanction came from Shaquille O’Neal," Cruz told nan Pittsburgh Post-Gazette successful 2022. "I’d person to correct them and said, 'No, it's different guy, my dad's favourite ballplayer.’ To this day, I haven’t really dug successful to find out, but I request to get nan afloat story."

In 2022, Cruz sewage a chance to talk to O'Neill for nan first clip erstwhile nan Bucs took connected nan Bronx Bombers. O'Neill wasn't capable to be nan matchup, but he sent Cruz a signed jersey and FaceTimed his hulking namesake.

Two years later, nan duo yet met. Suffice to say, sparks flew.

"I consciousness really happy," Cruz said. "It's my pleasance to yet meet him."

Cruz hasn't rather reached O'Neill's heights successful his still burgeoning career, but he still has plentifulness of clip — and much than capable skills — to look from his predecessor's shadow.