NORTHWEST TEAMS REACHING OUT TO LATINOS
By José Miguel Romero

Julio Cruz calls it "baby steps."

From his perspective, the words make sense. The former Mariners second baseman is part of the team's efforts to reach out to the Latino population of the Northwest, serving as color analyst on the team's Spanish-language radio broadcasts.

Cruz was a Mariner from 1977 to 1983, a period when such ventures weren't even a twinkle in an executive's eye. But times and demographics have changed, and several of the Northwest's professional sports teams are taking the Latino community more seriously.

Cruz has even suggested that the team go so far as to hire a Latino front-office person. It's an idea that has merit — the Mariners have a coach and 10 players of Latino descent on the roster or disabled list, and even more in the minor leagues.

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