| Tony Pérez | |
|---|---|
 Pérez with the Cincinnati Reds,c. 1976 | |
| First baseman /Third baseman /Manager | |
| Born: (1942-05-14)May 14, 1942 (age 83) Ciego de Ávila, Cuba | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| July 26, 1964, for the Cincinnati Reds | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 5, 1986, for the Cincinnati Reds | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .279 |
| Hits | 2,732 |
| Home runs | 379 |
| Runs batted in | 1,652 |
| Managerial record | 74–84 |
| Winning % | .468 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Managerial record at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
As player
As manager As coach | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Member of the National | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 2000 |
| Vote | 77.2% (ninth ballot) |
Atanasio "Tony"Pérez Rigal (born May 14, 1942) is aCuban-American former professionalbaseball player,coach andmanager. He played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) as afirst baseman andthird baseman from1964 through1986, most notably as a member of theCincinnati Reds dynasty that won fourNational League pennants and twoWorld Series championships between 1970 and 1976.[1] He also played for theMontreal Expos,Boston Red Sox and thePhiladelphia Phillies.
A seven-timeAll-Star, Pérez averaged more than 100runs batted in per season from 1970 to 1976 for the powerful Cincinnati team that became known as theBig Red Machine for their dominance of the National League in the mid-1970s.[1] Variously nicknamed "Big Dog", "Big Doggie", and "Doggie", he was one of the most popular players in Reds history.[1][2][3]
After his playing career, Pérez became a coach and later managed the Reds and theFlorida Marlins. From 1993 through the 2017 season, he was Special Assistant to the General Manager with the Marlins.[4] In2000, Pérez was inducted into theBaseball Hall of Fame.[5]
Pérez was born inCiego de Ávila, Cuba in 1942, the son of José Manuel and Teodora (Rígal) Pérez. Tony and his parents and siblings all lived in a two-bedroom row house owned by the sugar mill where Tony's father, and eventually Tony, worked. Tony later played shortstop for the Mill's baseball team, Central Violeta.[6]
He was signed to a pro contract in 1960 at age 17 byCincinnati Reds scoutTony Pacheco while playing on the Camagüey sugar factory team. He was assigned to the instructional team of the Reds' AAA affiliateHavana Sugar Kings. His "bonus" for signing with the Reds was the $2.50 cost of a visa and a plane ticket toMiami, Florida.[7]
Pérez arrived inFlorida in the spring of 1960 and participated in the Reds' spring training inTampa. He played his first minor league game for the Reds' Class D affiliate inGeneva, New York at age 17 on May 1, 1960, in the season-opener for the New York–Pennsylvania League team. Starting at second base, his first professional hit was a triple as he went 1–5 in a 6–5, 13-inning loss to the Auburn Yankees. He went hitless in the next game (the Redlegs' home opener) in a 17–16 Redlegs win, and in the next game he got the team's only hit (a single) in a 5–0 loss. On June 25 he was placed on the disabled list. That same day, he was replaced on the active roster by just-signed 19-year-oldPete Rose, who was inserted into the starting lineup at second base. Upon Pérez's return, Rose remained at second base and Pérez played third base. Another of his teammates was Martín Dihigo Jr., son ofBaseball Hall of Fame member andNegro leagues great and Cuban nativeMartín Dihigo.[8] Pérez hit .279 with 6 home runs in 104 games.[9]
In 1961 he again played for Geneva and set several team batting records, batting .348 with 27 home runs in 121 games. In 1962 he was promoted to the Class B Rocky Mount Leafs in theCarolina League. He reported two weeks late, as he had trouble getting out of his homeland of Cuba. In 100 games, he hit .292 with 18 home runs and 74 RBI, making the all-star team as a third baseman, but his season was cut short after those 100 games due to a broken ankle.[10] In 1963 he was promoted to theMacon Peaches of the Class AASouth Atlantic League, where in 69 games as a third baseman he hit .309 with 11 home runs and 48 RBIs before being promoted that same year to the Class AAASan Diego Padres of thePacific Coast League. For San Diego that year, in 8 games he hit .379 with 1 home run and 5 RBI.[9]
Playing for the Padres in 1964, Pérez, now playing first base, was named Most Valuable Player in thePacific Coast League. Pérez hit .309 with 34 home runs and 107 RBI.[11] He was called up to the Reds and played his first two games in a doubleheader on July 26, 1964, at Cincinnati'sCrosley Field. In his debut he started at first base, and in his first at-bat he drew a walk against left-handed pitcherJoe Gibbon. He went 0–2 against Gibbon andDon Schwall in a 7–2 Reds win,[12] then went 0–4 against pitcherBob Veale in a 5–1 Pirates win.[13]
The following day he started at first base and batted fifth against the Braves at MilwaukeeCounty Stadium. In an 11–2 Reds win, he got his first hit, a second-inning double offDenny Lemaster, and then scored his first run on aJohnny Edwards double. In the seventh inning he got his first RBI, a single off Lemaster to scoreFrank Robinson.[14]
From 1964 through 1966, he platooned at first base, primarily withDeron Johnson andGordy Coleman. His first career home run, a grand slam, came in the Reds' second game of 1965, at home inCrosley Field against Milwaukee – and again against Denny Lemaster. The grand slam came with 2 outs and scoredVada Pinson, Frank Robinson, and Deron Johnson.[15]
Pérez became the Reds' starter at third base in 1967 and was selected to his firstAll-Star team in1967. Thegame, played on July 11, 1967, atAnaheim Stadium, went into 15 innings, the longest All-Star Game in history (since equaled by the 2008 game).[16] Pérez's home run off future fellow Hall of FamerCatfish Hunter propelled the National League to a 2–1 victory. He was subsequently voted the game'sMost Valuable Player.[17]
In1970, Pérez hit the first home run inPittsburgh'sThree Rivers Stadium.[18] The 1970 campaign was his finest year, statistically: in addition to his 129 RBIs, Pérez hit .317, slugged 40 home runs and scored 107 runs. His performance through the first half of the season (.363, 28 HRs) ranks among the finest in the history of the sport. He came in third in the Most Valuable Player voting behindBilly Williams and Reds' teammate and winnerJohnny Bench.[19]
Pérez also played winter ball for 10 seasons between 1964–65 and 1982–83 in thePuerto Rico Baseball League for theSanturce Crabbers (Cangrejeros de Santurce). He won the batting title and was named league MVP in 1966–67.[20][21]
After platooning and playingfirst base in the early part of his career (1964–66) with theCincinnati Reds, he became a perennial all-star starting atthird base from 1967 to 1971. From 1972 onward he starred at first base. Pérez was one of the premier RBI men of his generation, driving in 100 or more runs seven times in his 23-year-long career. In an 11-year stretch from 1967 to 1977, Pérez drove in 90 or more runs each year, with a high of 129 RBIs in 1970. During the decade of the 1970s, Pérez was second among all major-leaguers in RBI, with 954, behind only his teammate Johnny Bench.
Beginning in1970, the Reds went to the World Series four times in seven years, winning back-to-back world championships in1975 and1976, with Pérez starting at first base. Following the Reds sweep of the Phillies in the1976 League Championship Series andNew York Yankees in the1976 World Series (the only time a team has ever swept the postseason since the League Championship Series was introduced in 1969), Pérez was traded to the Montreal Expos withWill McEnaney forWoodie Fryman andDale Murray.[22] After his trade, the "Big Red Machine"—considered one of baseball's all-time greatest teams—sputtered and never again got into the Series, reaching the playoffs but one more time in1979.Sparky Anderson, the Reds manager during the championships of the 1970s, has stated in many interviews since that Pérez was the leader, and heart and soul of those teams.
After three seasons inMontreal (in which he hit 46 home runs with 242 RBIs and a .281 batting average), for the1980 season, Pérez signed as a free agent with the Boston Red Sox. In his first season with the Red Sox, he finished in the top 10 in theAmerican League in home runs (25), RBIs (105) andintentional walks (11), and won theLou Gehrig Memorial Award.[22]
For the1983 season, Pérez reunited with "Big Red Machine" teammatesPete Rose andJoe Morgan on the Philadelphia Phillies. Still a feared hitter based on his reputation, Pérez was a reserve player for their Phillies during their run to the World Series that year, and batted .242 in his five World Series appearances. Following the season, he returned to the Cincinnati Reds as a free agent, where he remained until his retirement following the1986 season.[22]
In 1984, at age 42, he became the oldest player to hit a walk-off pinch-hit home run (off the Pirates'Don Robinson). On May 13, 1985, batting againstPhiladelphia Phillies' relieverDave Rucker, he became the oldest player (44) to hit a grand slam, breaking a 70-year-old record held byHonus Wagner.[23][24] The new record stood untilJulio Franco broke it at age 46 in 2004. Pérez was named National League Player of the Week during the final week of his career at age 44, when he went 8-for-19 with a home run, three doubles, and 6 runs batted in.[22]
His final career hit and RBI came on October 4, 1986, atRiverfront Stadium when he hit a solo home run offSan Diego Padres pitcherEd Whitson in a 10–7 Reds win.[25] The following day was the Reds' last game of the year and the final game of his career. In his final at-bat, he flied out againstAndy Hawkins in a 2–1 Padres' win.[26]
After serving one season as a coach for the Reds, Perez was hired as manager for the 1993 season. The Reds started slowly with a 12-18 record, but quickly went on a seven-game winning streak before going on a seven-game West Coast road trip. Before a game against theSan Francisco Giants, Reds beat writerHal McCoy approached Perez with an idea to bat catcherJoe Oliver in the game instead of backup catcherDan Wilson, since Oliver hit Giants starting pitcherBud Black well. Perez took McCoy's suggestion and the Reds won the game, the only win they would have on the trip. McCoy wrote about his meeting in his column shortly thereafter. Reds general managerJim Bowden read the column and was angry that Perez allowed McCoy to influence a managerial decision and fired Perez with the team having a 20-24 record.[27]
Shortly after being fired by the Reds, Perez was hired by theFlorida Marlins as special assistant to the general manager and later special assistant to the team president. In 2001, he replacedJohn Boles as manager of the Marlins after a 22-26 start and managed the team to the end of the season, going 54-60. Perez remained with the Marlins' organization until 2017.[28]
Pérez was inducted into theCincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1998. On May 27, 2000, in an on-fieldpre-game ceremony atCinergy Field with family and former teammates and managers, the Reds retired his number, 24.[2]
In2000, Pérez was elected to theBaseball Hall of Fame inCooperstown, New York, garnering 385 votes on 499 ballots for a total of 77.15%, just over the three-quarters minimum required for induction. He was inducted in July 2000 along withSparky Anderson,Carlton Fisk,Bid McPhee andTurkey Stearnes. In his induction speech, he said, "I doubt that a king at his coronation feels better than me today."[5] Each year since his induction, he has attended the weekend ceremonies, including riding in the annual parade and playing in the annual golf outing and old-timers' baseball game.[29]
Pérez was inducted into theHispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame in 2001 at a pre-game ceremony held at theSan Francisco Giants'Pacific Bell Park.[30] That same year he threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the2001 All-Star Game atSafeco Field inSeattle. He had played at theKingdome in Seattle during the1979 All-Star Game. Pérez in 1998 was inducted into the Caribbean Baseball Hall of Fame, which honors those that have made significant achievements in theCaribbean Series. He was one of 24 inaugural inductees into the Latino Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010.[31] He was inducted in 2010 to the Cuban Sports Hall of Fame.[32]
In 2011, with Pérez and his sons in attendance at opening ceremonies of the Museo del Deporte de Puerto Rico inGuaynabo,Puerto Rico, his adopted homeland, presented him with a surprise honor. He was proclaimed an official "native son" of Puerto Rico "for his dedication to the commonwealth as a family and community member, and for his impressive baseball accolades while representing the island." Also present were fellow Hall of FamersOrlando Cepeda andRoberto Alomar, as well asVera Zabala, the widow ofRoberto Clemente.[33]
On August 10, 2014, at the annual Reds Hall of Fame Induction Gala, former Reds teammates Johnny Bench and Joe Morgan along with Pérez himself announced that the Reds would erect a statue of Pérez outsideGreat American Ball Park.[34]
On August 21–22, 2015, the Cincinnati Reds held Tony Pérez Weekend during a series with theArizona Diamondbacks. At least 12 players of the Big Red Machine were part of a post-game ceremony that Friday's night. On Saturday, a bronze statue of Pérez was unveiled near the entrance to Great American Ball Park. Fans attending the game received replica statues, and there was a pre-game ceremony honoring Pérez, followed by him throwing the ceremonial first pitch.[35]
Tommy John thought Pérez was one of the toughest hitters he ever had to face due to his ability to hit to right-center field with power. "He waited on the ball well and I couldn't throw hard enough to get it by him inside," John recollected.[36]
| Team | From | To | Regular season record | Post–season record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | Win % | W | L | Win % | |||
| Cincinnati Reds | 1993 | 1993 | 20 | 24 | .455 | — | ||
| Florida Marlins | 2001 | 2001 | 54 | 60 | .474 | |||
| Total | 74 | 84 | .468 | 0 | 0 | – | ||
| Reference:[37] | ||||||||
While playing winter ball inPuerto Rico in 1964, Pérez met Juana ("Pituka") de la Cantera, daughter of Pablo de la Cantera and Edilia Cortina.[38] Also of Cuban descent, she grew up in Puerto Rico. Four months after meeting, the couple married in early 1965.[39] They both became American citizens on October 18, 1971 inCincinnati.[40] They have two sons, both born in Cincinnati, Victor Pérez (May 11, 1966) andEduardo Pérez (September 11, 1969).
Victor played one season in the Reds' minor league system in 1990.[41] He attended and graduated fromXavier University in Cincinnati with a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Finance and Computer Science. He later moved toNew York City, where he worked in real estate and in telecommunications. He also attended acting school there and became a professional actor, first in New York City, and then for several years in London.[39][42]
Eduardo was an All-American third baseman atFlorida State University and played in theCollege World Series. He was drafted in the first round (17th overall pick) by theCalifornia Angels. He played Major League Baseball for 13 seasons. After retiring as a player, he served as anESPN commentator for five years. In 2009, he managedLeones de Ponce to the Puerto Rican League championship, and in 2011 and 2012 he was hitting coach for theMiami Marlins. He was bench coach of theHouston Astros for the 2013 season. In 2016, Eduardo joined SiriusXM's MLB Network Radio hosting The Leadoff Spot withSteve Phillips. He is married to Mirba (Rivera) and they have two daughters, Andreanna and Juliana.[43]
In November 1972, Pérez was granted a 20-day visa to return toCuba for the first time since a 1963 trip; however, the visa did not permit his wife and children to go, according to "Latino Baseball Legends: An Encyclopedia" byLew Freedman. He took 17 suitcases of gifts, clothes, and medical supplies and reunited with his family in Central Violeta, Cuba—a 400-mile train ride fromHavana.[7]
Tony's father, Jose Manuel – with whom Tony worked alongside as a teenager at theCamagüey sugar factory, hauling and stamping the company's name on the bags – died in 1979 at age 84 (some sources list his year of death as 1977). Tony has stated that, during his playing career, his family in Cuba would listen to theVoice of America, which would give daily updates on Cuban players playing in the majors.[7][39][44]
Tony's mother, Teodora ("Tita"), was 88 when Tony called her with the news in 2000 that he had been elected to the Hall of Fame.[5] Tony was able to make a return visit to Cuba in 2002, only this time with his sons. Teodora died in 2008. Tony's oldest sister died in 1997. In 2000, for a luncheon honoring Tony, the Marlins arranged to surprise him by helping his two living sisters, Argelia and Gloria, secure visas and come to Miami from their homes in Central Violeta, Camagüey, Cuba.[45][46][47][48]
Pérez has cited Cuban-bornMinnie Miñoso as his boyhood idol.[49] Pérez advocated for many years in articles, speeches, and discussions to get Minoso elected to theBaseball Hall of Fame.[50]
A 326-page biography,Tony Pérez: From Cuba to Cooperstown, written by John Erardi, was published on April 2, 2018.[51]
| International | |
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| National | |
