Jhonny Peralta
Encyclopedia
Jhonny Antonio Peralta (born May 28, 1982) is a Dominican
professional baseball
shortstop
with the Detroit Tigers
of Major League Baseball
. He previously played with the Cleveland Indians
.
, the Class A affiliate of the Indians in the South Atlantic League
. He batted .241 in 106 games, playing all but one game at shortstop
(the other was at third base
). The following season he advanced to the Kinston Indians
, the Cleveland Indians' High-A affiliate in the Carolina League
. In 125 games, he batted .240. In 2002, Peralta moved up to the Double-A Akron Aeros
, where he hit .281.
. He would go on to hit .227 with four home run
s (HR) and 21 runs batted in (RBI) in 2003. In 2004, despite great Triple-A numbers, Peralta only saw 25 at-bats in eight games with the Indians due to the presence of perennial Gold Glover
and fan-favorite Vizquel, who left the Indians as a free agent after the 2004 season.
By this time, Peralta had established himself as one of the minor league's better hitters in his time with the Akron Aeros and Buffalo Bisons
. He was the 2004 Player of the Year in the International League
, helping Buffalo win the International League championship. He was named the Indians' 2004 Minor League Player of the Year (receiving the "Lou Boudreau
Award").
.292; his 24 HR and 78 RBI set records for an Indians short stop. He entrenched himself in the third slot in the batting order
in the potent Indians lineup and showed a knack for clutch late-inning hits.
On March 10, 2006, Peralta agreed to a five-year contract with an option for a sixth year to stay with the Indians until the 2011 season. However, his 2006 season saw a decline both offensively and defensively from the previous season. At the start of spring training
in 2007, it was revealed that Peralta suffered from vision problems in 2006 and had corrective LASIK
eye surgery to deal with it.
Peralta hit his first inside-the-park home run
on July 18, 2010, against the Detroit Tigers.
. On July 30, 2010, Peralta hit a home run in his first plate appearance as a Tiger, and then another in his third plate appearance. On July 8, 2011, Peralta was named to his first career All-Star Game, replacing Derek Jeter
. He finished the 2011 regular season with a career-high .299 batting average, while also collecting 21 home runs and 86 RBIs.
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
professional baseball
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...
shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
with the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
of 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...
. He previously played with 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...
.
Playing career
Peralta was signed by the Cleveland Indians as an amateur free agent in 1999. In 2000, the 18-year-old Peralta began his pro career with the Columbus RedStixxColumbus RedStixx
The Columbus RedStixx were a minor league baseball team in Columbus, Georgia. They were a Class A team in the South Atlantic League, and a farm team of the Cleveland Indians.The RedStixx played home games at Golden Park, except during 1996...
, the Class A affiliate of the Indians in the South Atlantic League
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
. He batted .241 in 106 games, playing all but one game at shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
(the other was at third base
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
). The following season he advanced to the Kinston Indians
Kinston Indians
The Kinston Indians were a minor league baseball team of the Carolina League , and the High-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. They were located in Kinston, North Carolina, and were named for their parent club...
, the Cleveland Indians' High-A affiliate in the Carolina League
Carolina League
The Carolina League is a minor league baseball affiliation which operates in the South Atlantic Coast of the United States. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
. In 125 games, he batted .240. In 2002, Peralta moved up to the Double-A Akron Aeros
Akron Aeros
The Akron Aeros are a minor league baseball team based in Akron, Ohio, USA. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians.The Aeros play in Canal Park, located in downtown Akron, which seats 9,097 fans...
, where he hit .281.
2003 and 2004
Peralta made his major league debut with Cleveland on June 12, 2003, filling in for the injured short stop Omar VizquelOmar Vizquel
Omar Enrique Vizquel González , nicknamed "Little O", is a Venezuelan Major League Baseball shortstop and third baseman. Vizquel has played for the Seattle Mariners , the Cleveland Indians , the San Francisco Giants , the Texas Rangers and the Chicago White Sox...
. He would go on to hit .227 with four home run
Home 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 (HR) and 21 runs batted in (RBI) in 2003. In 2004, despite great Triple-A numbers, Peralta only saw 25 at-bats in eight games with the Indians due to the presence of perennial Gold Glover
Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...
and fan-favorite Vizquel, who left the Indians as a free agent after the 2004 season.
By this time, Peralta had established himself as one of the minor league's better hitters in his time with the Akron Aeros and Buffalo Bisons
Buffalo Bisons
The Buffalo Bisons are a minor league baseball team based in Buffalo, New York. They currently play in the International League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets...
. He was the 2004 Player of the Year in the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
, helping Buffalo win the International League championship. He was named the Indians' 2004 Minor League Player of the Year (receiving the "Lou Boudreau
Lou Boudreau
Louis "Lou" Boudreau was an American Major League Baseball player and manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1970...
Award").
Staying in the major leagues
Peralta became Cleveland's full time starting shortstop early in the 2005 season. Peralta battedBatting 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 :...
.292; his 24 HR and 78 RBI set records for an Indians short stop. He entrenched himself in the third slot in the batting order
Batting order (baseball)
The batting order, or batting lineup, in baseball is the sequence in which the nine members of the offense take their turns in batting against the pitcher. The batting order is the main component of a team's offensive strategy. The batting order is set by the manager before the game begins...
in the potent Indians lineup and showed a knack for clutch late-inning hits.
On March 10, 2006, Peralta agreed to a five-year contract with an option for a sixth year to stay with the Indians until the 2011 season. However, his 2006 season saw a decline both offensively and defensively from the previous season. At the start of spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
in 2007, it was revealed that Peralta suffered from vision problems in 2006 and had corrective LASIK
LASIK
LASIK or Lasik , commonly referred to simply as laser eye surgery, is a type of refractive surgery for correcting myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism...
eye surgery to deal with it.
Peralta hit his first inside-the-park home run
Inside-the-park home run
In baseball parlance, an inside-the-park home run, "leg home run", or "quadruple", is a play where a batter hits a home run without hitting the ball out of play.-Discussion:...
on July 18, 2010, against the Detroit Tigers.
Detroit Tigers
On July 28, 2010, he was traded to the Detroit Tigers for minor league pitcher Giovanni Soto and cash considerations. He was forced to change his longtime uniform number from 2 to 27, because the Tigers had retired the number 2 in honor of Hall-of-Famer Charlie GehringerCharlie Gehringer
Charles Leonard Gehringer , nicknamed “The Mechanical Man,” was a German-American Major League Baseball second baseman who played 19 seasons for the Detroit Tigers...
. On July 30, 2010, Peralta hit a home run in his first plate appearance as a Tiger, and then another in his third plate appearance. On July 8, 2011, Peralta was named to his first career All-Star Game, replacing Derek Jeter
Derek Jeter
Derek Sanderson Jeter is an American baseball shortstop who has played 17 years in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. A twelve-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion, Jeter's clubhouse presence, on-field leadership, hitting ability, and baserunning have made him a central...
. He finished the 2011 regular season with a career-high .299 batting average, while also collecting 21 home runs and 86 RBIs.