The sparkplug of the 1983 Winning Ugly Chicago White Sox, Julio Cruz, has died. Cruz’s family made the announcement on Wednesday.
A couple of years ago, a number of pennant-winning 1959 White Sox passed away, and unfortunately it seems like these days, the 1983 division winners are in the line of fire, with Roland Hemond, LaMarr Hoyt and now Cruz gone.
Cruz came to the White Sox from the Seattle Mariners on June 15, 1983 for Tony Bernazard, in a swap of starting second basemen. Bernazard had put up 3.7 WAR in strike-shortened 1981, 2.