Before Deivi Cruz could begin to fill the Orioles' big shoes at shortstop, he needed a cap that fit his head.
In town to take his physical yesterday, Cruz rejected the first one handed to him before finding a looser, more comfortable match. A smile spread across his face as he removed the tighter model and slid it across the table.
"He looks good in black and orange," said Jim Beattie, the Orioles' executive vice president of baseball operations.
Cruz hopes to be a better fit in the Orioles' infield than the first cap he tried.
Formally introduced to the media at Camden Yards, Cruz said he wasn't concerned about replacing Mike Bordick. He has dealt with the pressure of being a Rule 5 draft pick on an Opening Day roster. He appeared ready for any challenge, including uniform issues, that being an Oriole would present.
"I can't think about that," he said of following Bordick, who set the major-league record last season for consecutive errorless games and chances by a shortstop. "Breaking those records is hard for any shortstop. And they had Cal Ripken, who was their shortstop for so many years."
The Orioles reached agreement with Cruz, 30, during the winter meetings in Nashville, Tenn., after Bordick rejected their one-year, $1.5 million offer. Cruz signed for $1.2 million, with a club option for 2004, and received a scouting report on the city and the clubhouse from reliever Willis Roberts.
"I liked to play here," said Cruz, a Detroit Tiger for five years before joining the San Diego Padres last season. "I talked to a couple guys who had been here before and they said they liked it. I know this team last year had a young team and they played pretty well. Now they're giving me a chance here, and I want to do my best to help them."
Cruz passed his physical, took questions from a small media gathering on the fourth floor of the warehouse and headed to the airport for a flight through New York that eventually would touch down in the Dominican Republic. He has been taking ground balls and hitting five days a week to stay in shape.
His best offensive season came in 2000 when he batted .302 with 82 RBIs and 46 doubles. But the Orioles focused more on defense and durability while choosing Cruz from a list of free-agent shortstops that included Rey Sanchez, Jose Hernandez and Chris Gomez.
"With the long tradition here of excellent defensive shortstops, that is the position where we really did not look at the offensive skills," said Mike Flanagan, vice president of baseball operations. "Even though the need for a couple bats is evident, we do not believe that is the place where we need to fix those problems.
"Anything offensively he gives us is a plus. His year, in our estimation, will not be judged on his offensive numbers."
Asked if he could reach his statistics from 2000, Cruz said, "If you have the opportunity, with a lot of guys getting on base, you can get a lot of RBIs."
Cruz batted .263 last season with seven homers and 47 RBIs. He appeared in 151 games and helped the Padres improve from 15th to seventh in the National League with 162 double plays.
Chosen by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1996 Rule 5 draft, Cruz was traded to the Tigers later that day. As a Rule 5 draftee, he had to be kept on the 25-man roster all season.
"I've always liked the way he played," said Orioles bullpen coach Elrod Hendricks.
"There was a lot of pressure on him when he went over there as a kid, but from what I gathered, he played a heck of a shortstop. I just hope he's not being compared to Bordick. They're two different type of players."