Herbert Perry
Encyclopedia
Herbert Edward Perry, Jr. (born September 15, 1969) is a former American college and professional baseball
player who was an infielder
in Major League Baseball
(MLB) for all or part of nine season during the 1990s and 2000s. Perry played college baseball
for the University of Florida
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Cleveland Indians
, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
, the Chicago White Sox
and the Texas Rangers
of MLB.
in 1969. He attended Lafayette High School in Mayo, Florida
, and played high school football
and baseball for the Lafayette Hornets high school teams.
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
, where he played for coach Joe Arnold
's Florida Gators baseball
team and was also a quarterback
for coach Galen Hall
's Gators football
team in 1987 and 1988. He graduated from Florida with a bachelor's degree
in agricultural operations management in 1991.
s in for the Texas Rangers
; he only hit twenty-eight previous home runs in seven years total, though on limited playing time. Twelve of those came in with the Chicago White Sox
. Injuries shortened his major league career to only nine seasons. He retired from baseball with a career batting average
of .272.
and coaches the Lafayette County High School baseball team, the Lafayette Hornets. He has two sons, one daughter and one adopted daughter: Ethan, Drew, Gabrielle and Olivia. Perry and his wife adopted daughter Olivia from Ukraine in 2009.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player who was an infielder
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
(MLB) for all or part of nine season during the 1990s and 2000s. Perry played college baseball
College baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...
for the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
, the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
and the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
of MLB.
Early years
Perry was born in Live Oak, FloridaLive Oak, Florida
Live Oak is a city in Suwannee County, Florida. The city is the county seat of Suwannee County and is located east of Tallahassee, Florida. The population was 6,480 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 6,828 ....
in 1969. He attended Lafayette High School in Mayo, Florida
Mayo, Florida
Mayo is a town and the only municipality in Lafayette County, Florida, United States. The population was 988 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 1,009...
, and played high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
and baseball for the Lafayette Hornets high school teams.
College career
Perry received an athletic scholarshipAthletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, where he played for coach Joe Arnold
Joe Arnold
Joseph A. "Joe" Arnold is a former American college and professional baseball coach. During his twenty-four seasons as a head coach, Arnold led the college baseball teams at Florida Southern College, the University of Florida, and Polk State College, and also served as the manager of two Class A...
's Florida Gators baseball
Florida Gators baseball
The Florida Gators baseball team represents the University of Florida in the sport of baseball. The Florida Gators compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletics Association , and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference . They play their home games in Alfred A...
team and was also a quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for coach Galen Hall
Galen Hall
Galen Samuel Hall is an American college and professional football coach and former player. He is a native of Pennsylvania, and an alumnus of Penn State University, where he played college football...
's Gators football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
team in 1987 and 1988. He graduated from Florida with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in agricultural operations management in 1991.
Professional career
Perry hit twenty-two home runHome run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s in for the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
; he only hit twenty-eight previous home runs in seven years total, though on limited playing time. Twelve of those came in with the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
. Injuries shortened his major league career to only nine seasons. He retired from baseball with a career batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of .272.
Life after the Major Leagues
Perry currently resides in the town of Mayo, FloridaMayo, Florida
Mayo is a town and the only municipality in Lafayette County, Florida, United States. The population was 988 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 1,009...
and coaches the Lafayette County High School baseball team, the Lafayette Hornets. He has two sons, one daughter and one adopted daughter: Ethan, Drew, Gabrielle and Olivia. Perry and his wife adopted daughter Olivia from Ukraine in 2009.
See also
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- Florida Gators football, 1980–1989
- List of Florida Gators baseball players
- List of University of Florida alumni