 In his native Cuba, de la Cruz pitched in the winter Cuban League from 1934/35 to 1946/47, with a career record of 71–78.In 1947, the Cuban League agreed to affiliate with U.S. organized baseball, leaving de la Cruz and many other banned Cuban players ineligible to return to the Cuban League.De la Cruz was the leader of the players' union ("Asociación Nacional de Peloteros Profesionales de Cuba") and organized an alternative league, the Liga Nacional (or Players Federation League) in which the banned players could compete.