HR0330LRB103 32696 LAW 62427 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to congratulate John Cruz on the occasion
4of his retirement as a baseball coach after 51 years; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Coach Cruz was born to Rafael and Mary
6(Hernandez) Cruz in Spring Valley on September 15, 1949; he
7was one of 14 children; he graduated from DePue High School in
81969; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Outside of baseball, Coach Cruz worked at Libbey
10Owens, later renamed Pilkington, for 42 years from 1974 to
112015; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Coach Cruz began his 51-year coaching career with
13the Spring Valley Youth Baseball Program in 1972; he proceeded
14to coach various travel programs; he then served under Coach
15Bob Koopmann, assisting in coaching baseball at Illinois
16Valley Community College, Ashford University in Iowa, and
17Rockford University; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Coach Cruz returned to the Illinois Valley to
19coach the Princeton High School boys baseball team, the
20Tigers, in 2009, leading the team to its most productive
21two-year run with an overall record of 46-15; he then coached

 

 

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1the Putnam County High School boys baseball team, the
2Panthers, for two years before coaching the freshmen baseball
3team at LaSalle-Peru High School; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Coach Cruz joined the coaching staff of the Hall
5High School freshmen and sophomore boys baseball team, the Red
6Demons, in Spring Valley in 2020, where he has coached for the
7past four years; his last game as coach with the Red Demons
8ended with a 20-6 victory, with the team winning their final 10
9games, finishing 21-6 overall; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Coach Cruz has coached and mentored countless
11young players during his 51 years of coaching and left a deep
12impression at each place he has served; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Coach Cruz has expressed plans to watch his
14grandchildren play baseball post-retirement; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Coach Cruz is the husband of Christine (Andreoni)
16Cruz, and they have four children, Craig, Lisa, Mary Rae, and
17Billy; therefore, be it
 
18    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
19HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
20we congratulate John Cruz on the occasion of his retirement as
21a baseball coach after 51 years, and we thank him for his

 

 

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1commitment and dedication to the game, the teams, and the
2players; and be it further
 
3    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
4presented to Coach Cruz as an expression of our esteem and
5respect.