The Republic-Times Athlete of the Week is Lee Cruz of the St. Louis Spikes of the Mon-Clair League. Cruz was named MVP of the Valmeyer Midsummer Classic after going 8-for-13 with four home runs and 10 RBIs in the tourney – including a solo homer and grand slam in Sunday’s title game. Cruz is hitting .536 this season in league play. Pictured, Cruz was surprised by his wife Lynn and children Luca and Lana at home plate before coming to bat in the third inning against Waterloo on Sunday. He treated the crowd to a long home run to left in his at bat. Cruz, a Florida native, has played in the Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros organizations, reaching as high as Triple-A. He was selected by the White Sox in the 10th round of the 2006 amateur draft. Cruz played at the University of Tampa and earned NCAA Division II Player of the Year honors in 2006.