Pat Cruse

Pat Cruse (born January 31, 1960), is an American former professional baseball first baseman and designated hitter. He played 3 seasons in the American Baseball Association for the Chicago Cyclones. He amassed a .272 batting average, 13 home runs, 63 runs batted in, 50 runs scored, and 134 hits. He is a 1-time Gold Glove Award winner.​

Chicago Cyclones (2000-2002)
In the 2000 Inaugural Draft, Cruse was a fourteenth round pick. He was picked up by the Chicago Cyclones. The imposing veteran was criticized for his total lack of shape before the season, but he answered that his weight will not interfere with his defensive ability. Cruse didn't lie as he won the Gold Glove Award at 1B. In addition to his good performance in defence, Cruse hit a respectable 6 HR with 27 RBI, hitting for .329 in 143 at-bats.

Pat Cruse decided to continue his career for at least a year, by agreeing to a one-year contract with the Chicago team during the offseason. But sadly for him, age started to show in his performances, as his offensive ability dropped significantly during the 2001 season. Cruse was still a pretty good player, but with Chicago's historically bad season, they decided to cut ties with many of their players, including Pat Cruse.

Cruse didn't give up to continue to play baseball and finally resigned with Chicago in late March, as Chicago was desperately looking for a power hitter. They decided to start him at first base first, but he accumulated the errors and was quickly relegated to the designated hitter spot. At 43 year-old, Cruse's ability decreased significantly and he struggled all year long at the bat. He decided to finally end his career at the end of the season.

Awards
1X ABA Gold Glove Award at 1B (2000)