Elly De La Cruz became a fan favorite not just in Cincinnati but across baseball during his dynamic rookie season. Now, the Reds rookie is hoping to better understand and communicate with the many American fans who enjoy watching him play.
De La Cruz spoke through a translator for much of his rookie 2023 season. The Dominican shortstop showed off his understanding of English during his Wednesday press conference, speaking entirely in the new language the day before Opening Day.
"It's so important to me because now you guys understand what I say, and it's important to understand me, and me understand the fans," De La Cruz said on Wednesday. "I put a lot of work on my English to talk with you guys [reporters], and I think I'm doing a good job."
"It's important to the fans to understand me and me understand the fans." - @ellylacocoa18
— Olivia Ray (@OliviaRayTV) March 28, 2024
Elly De La Cruz casually walked into his press conference today - answering every question in English. A project he spent a lot of time on in the offseason.#Reds manager David Bell… pic.twitter.com/bKJwhtf4zp
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The Reds signed De La Cruz as a 16-year-old when he was an international free agent. He played in the Dominican Summer League in 2019 and missed the 2020 minor-league season, which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
De La Cruz did not make his stateside baseball debut until 2021, when he spent time playing in the Arizona Complex League (Rookie League) and Low-A. He then reached High-A and Double-A in 2022 and spent the 2023 season at Triple-A before he was promoted to the majors. De La Cruz debuted at only 21.
It's not uncommon for players signed as international free agents to use a translator for the bulk of their careers rather than learning English, a notoriously difficult language to master. As he prepared to start his second season, De La Cruz decided it was important to begin learning the language.
"He's incredibly thoughtful. He's humble. The way he listens and learns, it's amazing. I can't relate to that, the courage that that takes," Reds manager David Bell said. "Just the respect that he has, it's just beyond anything I've had to deal with. It's impressive. We know that about Elly, but for other people to see that, it's nice because I want everyone to see everything I know about our players and for Elly, that's a good example of who he is."
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Where is Elly De La Cruz from?
De La Cruz is from Sabana Grande de Boya, Dominican Republic. He is the youngest of nine siblings, according to The New York Times.