Tony Pérez

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Tony Pérez
Tony Perez Reds.jpg
Pérez with the Cincinnati Reds, c. 1976
First baseman / Third baseman / Manager
Born: (1942-05-14) May 14, 1942 (age 82)
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 RedsLWin %WLWin %
Cincinnati Reds 199319932024.455—
Florida Marlins 200120015460.474
Total7484.46800–
Reference: [37]

Personal life

Perez at the 2008 All-Star Game Red Carpet Parade Tony Perez All Star Parade 2008.jpg
Pérez at the 2008 All-Star Game Red Carpet Parade

While playing winter ball in Puerto 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 in Cincinnati. [40] They have two sons, both born in Cincinnati, Victor Pérez (May 11, 1966) and Eduardo Pérez (September 11, 1969).

Victor played one season in the Reds' minor league system in 1990. [41] He attended and graduated from Xavier University in Cincinnati with a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Finance and Computer Science. He later moved to New 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 at Florida State University and played in the College World Series. He was drafted in the first round (17th overall pick) by the California Angels. He played Major League Baseball for 13 seasons. After retiring as a player, he served as an ESPN commentator for five years. In 2009, he managed Leones de Ponce to the Puerto Rican League championship, and in 2011 and 2012 he was hitting coach for the Miami Marlins. He was bench coach of the Houston Astros for the 2013 season. In 2016, Eduardo joined SiriusXM's MLB Network Radio hosting The Leadoff Spot with Steve 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 to Cuba 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" by Lew 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 from Havana. [7]

Tony's father, Jose Manuel – with whom Tony worked alongside as a teenager at the Camagüey 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 the Voice 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-born Minnie Miñoso as his boyhood idol. [49] Pérez advocated for many years in articles, speeches, and discussions to get Minoso elected to the Baseball 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]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame at MLB.com". mlb.com. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Atanasio (Rigal) Perez". Cincinnati.reds.mlb.com. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Hall of Fame induction colored Red". Reds.enquirer.com. July 23, 2000. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Perez, Dawson depart from Jeter-led Marlins". ESPN.com. October 28, 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 "Atanasio Perez Rigal – Induction Speech | Baseball Hall of Fame". Baseballhall.org. March 29, 1979. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  6. ↑ Gruver, Ed (2016). Hairs vs. Squares: The Mustache Gang, the Big Red Machine, and the Tumultuous Summer of '72. U of Nebraska Press. p. 328. ISBN   9780803288195 . Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  7. 1 2 3 Freedman, Lew (August 31, 2010). Latino Baseball Legends: An Encyclopedia – LEW FREEDMAN – Google Books. Abc-Clio. ISBN   9780313378683 . Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  8. ↑ Geneva Daily Times
  9. 1 2 "Tony Perez Minor League Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. May 14, 1942. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Rocky Mount Evening Telegram, Wednesday, August 5, 1964, Page 14". newspaperarchive.com. August 5, 1964. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  11. ↑ Tony Perez, Topps Baseball Cards, 1968, card number 130.
  12. ↑ "July 26, 1964 Pittsburgh Pirates at Cincinnati Reds Play by Play and Box Score". Baseball-Reference.com. July 26, 1964. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  13. ↑ "July 26, 1964 Pittsburgh Pirates at Cincinnati Reds Play by Play and Box Score". Baseball-Reference.com. July 26, 1964. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  14. ↑ "July 27, 1964 Cincinnati Reds at Milwaukee Braves Play by Play and Box Score". Baseball-Reference.com. July 27, 1964. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  15. ↑ "April 13, 1965 Milwaukee Braves at Cincinnati Reds Box Score and Play by Play". Baseball-Reference.com. April 13, 1965. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  16. ↑ "Perez, King For A Night, Becomes King For A Day". The Morning Record. Retrieved October 25, 2014– via Google News Archive Search.
  17. ↑ "1967 All-Star Game". Baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  18. ↑ "Pittsburgh Pirates – Three Rivers Stadium". Baseball-statistics.com. Archived from the original on January 8, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  19. ↑ "Baseball Awards Voting for 1970". Baseball-Reference.com . Retrieved September 8, 2008.
  20. ↑ Van Hyning, T.E. (2004). Puerto Rico's Winter League: A History of Major League Baseball's Launching Pad. McFarland & Company. p. 19. ISBN   9780786419708 . Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  21. ↑ "An Interview with Thomas E. Van Hyning, author of the book, "Puerto Rico's Winter League"". aleida.net. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  22. 1 2 3 4 "Tony Perez Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  23. ↑ "The Ballplayers - Tony Perez". baseballbiography.com. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  24. ↑ "May 13, 1985 Philadelphia Phillies at Cincinnati Reds Box Score and Play by Play". Baseball-Reference.com. May 13, 1985. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  25. ↑ "October 4, 1986 San Diego Padres at Cincinnati Reds Play by Play and Box Score". Baseball-Reference.com. October 4, 1986. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  26. ↑ "October 5, 1986 San Diego Padres at Cincinnati Reds Play by Play and Box Score". Baseball-Reference.com. October 5, 1986. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  27. ↑ McCoy, Hal (August 12, 2020). "Hal: The Day I Unwittingly Had A Hand In The Firing Of Tony Perez". Press Pros Magazine.
  28. ↑ Clark, Dave. "Jack McKeon, Tony Perez turn down reduced-role offers from Marlins CEO Derek Jeter". The Enquirer.
  29. ↑ "Hall of Famers | Baseball Hall of Fame". Baseballhall.org. March 31, 1982. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  30. ↑ "Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum". Archived from the original on January 9, 2009. Retrieved July 21, 2008.
  31. ↑ "Clase Cooperstown 2010". Salon de la Fama (in Spanish). Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  32. ↑ "Sportshall". Archived from the original on April 8, 2003. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  33. ↑ "Victor Perez « Cooperstown Chatter". Baseballhall.mlblogs.com. December 19, 2011. Archived from the original on August 1, 2013. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  34. ↑ Pérez
  35. ↑ "Celebrate Tony Perez Weekend With Big Red Machine". MLB.com. August 13, 2015.
  36. ↑ John, Tommy; Valenti, Dan (1991). TJ: My Twenty-Six Years in Baseball. New York: Bantam. p. 275. ISBN   0-553-07184-X.
  37. ↑ "Tony Pérez". Baseball Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  38. ↑ "E-mail Directory of Cardenenses". Delafe.com. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  39. 1 2 3 Haft, Chris (January 13, 2000). "Perez: from Cuba to Hall". Cincinnati Enquirer . Archived from the original on April 9, 2013.
  40. ↑ "Sarasota Journal" . Retrieved October 25, 2014– via Google News Archive Search.
  41. ↑ "The Greatest 21 Days: Interview Part 1: Victor Perez, That Feeling". greatest21days.com. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  42. ↑ "Victor Perez Minor League Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. May 11, 1968. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  43. ↑ "Manager and Coaches". Houston.astros.mlb.com. Archived from the original on December 19, 2013. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  44. ↑ Araton, Harvey (March 17, 2009). "Tony Pérez on Cuba and Its Team – NYTimes.com". Bats.blogs.nytimes.com. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  45. ↑ "Sisters Surprise Perez At Lunch". Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on October 25, 2014. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  46. ↑ "Tony Perez left his life behind to play baseball in America". retro. Cincinnati.com. March 10, 2013. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  47. ↑ "To Understand Joy, Visit Perez's Sorrow – Sun Sentinel". Articles.sun-sentinel.com. June 11, 1998. Archived from the original on September 22, 2013. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  48. ↑ "Hall Door Finally Open To Perez". Sun Sentinel. January 12, 2000. Archived from the original on September 22, 2013. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  49. ↑ "Minnie Minoso gets his moment". Chicago Tribune. December 7, 2012. Archived from the original on December 8, 2012.
  50. ↑ "The push to get Minoso in the Hall of Fame continues | White Sox Observer". chicagonow.com. Archived from the original on January 8, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  51. ↑ "Tony Pérez: From Cuba to Cooperstown".
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