A week after announcing his retirement as a Major League player and after completing a tour of the five LIDOM stadiums with the Gigantes del Cibao to say goodbye to the fans in his native Dominican Republic, Nelson Cruz made a final and emotional stop in his home ballpark, Estadio Julian Javier in San Francisco de Macorís, on Wednesday night.

The night began with a ceremony prior to a game in which the slugger went 0-for-3 with a walk in the Gigantes’ 5-2 loss to the Tigres del Licey. But the highlight came after the game was over, when a teary Cruz took the microphone after a second tribute.

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“Thank you for making this day so special for me,” the 43-year-old said in Spanish while standing on the mound. “The truth is, God has given me more than I deserve and more than I dreamed of. And you, with this gesture of love towards me … it has been an incredible night. Really, thank you, thank you. Thank you, San Francisco.”

Given the size of the crowd at the ballpark and the number of people surrounding him, it was obvious that the gratitude was widely reciprocated.

In addition to his family and Gigantes teammates, including former MLB pitcher Fernando Rodney, Cruz was also accompanied by one of the many players he mentored during his career: two-time batting champion Luis Arraez. The two were teammates in Minnesota from 2019-21.

Cruz, who hit 464 home runs across 19 MLB seasons while earning the memorable "Boomstick" nickname, saw action in five games during his farewell tour around his country. And it wasn’t just for show: He hit .308 (4-for-13) with two walks, two RBIs and one run.

Cruz finished his Major League career with a .274 batting average and 1,325 RBIs. He made his big league debut with the Brewers in 2005 before being traded to the Rangers, where he made a name for himself with his power and production from 2006-13. He also played for the Orioles, Mariners, Twins, Rays, Nationals and Padres.