As the Yankees worked on a 4-2 win over the Orioles on Sunday, a familiar song conjured images of the African Serengeti in the Bronx during the eighth inning.
“Nants, ingonyama, bagithi baba, sithi uhm ingonyama,” blared through Yankee Stadium’s sound system as the famous Zulu opening to “The Lion King” began. But no sunrise painted the horizon. No rhinos, antelope or meerkats stirred. No elephants, giraffes or zebras roamed.
However, three Orioles did strike out after the Yankees’ closest creature to a lion made his way to his version of Pride Rock to the tune of the iconic Disney intro. Such is the soundtrack whenever Fernando Cruz takes the mound at Yankee Stadium.
“I identify with that song,” the righty told the Daily News, referring to “Circle of Life,” which was composed by Elton John and Hans Zimmer and performed by Carmen Twillie and Lebo M. “My favorite animal is the lion. I love ‘The Lion King.’”
Luke Weaver, who enters games to Darth Vader’s theme, a.k.a. “The Imperial March,” before Gary Wright’s trippy “Dream Weaver” mellows the vibe, feels that “Circle of Life” is a perfect fit for Cruz.
“He’s a family guy,” he said. “He’s got a bunch of kids. He cares a lot, and he’s ferocious. I mean, he’s a lion out there.”
Weaver, who once described himself as a “ferocious jungle cat,” added that the song’s soft build foreshadows what Cruz is going to unleash from the mound.
More often than not, it’s a splitter. With one of the deadliest in the sport, Cruz has preyed upon batters this season, racking up 50 strikeouts to go with a 3.26 ERA over 30.1 innings in his first season with the Yankees.
On Sunday, Cruz punched out Baltimore’s Ramón Laureano, Colton Cowser and Cedric Mullins — all on splitters — before the Yankees rallied in the bottom of the eighth. The comeback win wouldn’t have been possible without the lion-loving reliever.
“On balance, he’s been outstanding for us this year,” Aaron Boone said. “That was massive to keep the game right there, and then the offense took it from there.”
While Weaver likes the mood that the “Circle of Life” sets, Cruz’s decision to use the song has more to do with “The Lion King’s” themes than anything else.
“It’s a great message that you don’t have to be the strongest. You don’t have to be the tallest. You don’t have to be the smartest,” he said. “You just have to have some character and take control in any situation, and for me, that’s the lion. He’s not the biggest, he’s not the wildest, but his attitude puts him in control of everything around him.”
Cruz, a devout Christian, also mentioned the Lion of Judah when discussing his song selection.
Much like “The Lion King’s” characters, Cruz knows all about persevering through tough times.
Like Simba, the film’s main character, Cruz lost a parent when his mother, Virginia Manon, died of brain cancer in 2021. She never watched her son pitch in the majors, but Cruz knows she’d be proud to see him playing for the Yankees, his favorite team growing up, following his own wandering journey of self-discovery.
Drafted as a shortstop by the Royals out of high school in 2007, Cruz didn’t make his big league debut until 2022 at the age of 32. He didn’t start pitching until 2011, spent the 2015 season in the Cubs’ system, and was cut by Chicago in March 2016. He then played foreign and independent ball until Cincinnati inked him to a minor league deal in February 2022.
Now 35, Cruz suited up for the New Jersey Jackals, the Puerto Rican Winter League, the Venezuelan Winter League, the Dominican Winter League, the Caribbean Series, the Mexican League, the Mexican Pacific Winter League and the Autumn Mexican League before the Reds gave him a chance.
“Cincinnati is a special place,” Cruz said Sunday with the Yankees preparing for three games at Great American Ball Park. “It’s going to be like that my whole life. It’s where I made my debut. It’s the organization that gave me the opportunity, and I really appreciate everything they’ve done. Now I’m in another chapter of my life and my career with the Yankees, and we’re gonna take care of business.”
Cruz said he used “Circle of Life” as his warmup song at each of his stops. He has tried other songs along the way, but none have stuck or meant as much to him.
“Everybody’s asked me about it, and I explain myself,” Cruz said. “And now a lot of people call me a lion.”
