Neifi Pérez
Encyclopedia
Neifi Neftali Pérez is a Major League
baseball
player who most recently played for the Detroit Tigers
. He played with the Colorado Rockies
(1996–2001), Kansas City Royals
(2001–2002), San Francisco Giants
(2003–2004), and the Chicago Cubs
(2004–2006). Pérez was frequently praised for his defensive skills; among other achievements he won a Gold Glove in 2000 and turned a double play in 2007 which saved Justin Verlander
's no-hitter
.
signed Pérez as an undrafted free agent
in 1992 at the age of 18. Assigned to the single-A Bend Rockies for the 1993 season, Pérez posted a .260 batting average
and stole
19 bases. The Rockies, confident in Pérez's potential, promoted him to the single-A Central Valley Rockies. Pérez exhibited strong defensive skills, executing the first unassisted triple play
in the history of the California League
in a game against the Bakersfield Blaze
. Pérez batted just .239 on the year but made the California League All-Star game and was considered to be one of the Rockies' top prospects on the basis of his defense. Rockies player development chief Dick Balderson
expressed confidence that Pérez's hitting would improve: "He's got all the skills...He's just in a rush right now, like most young guys."
Pérez moved up to the double-AA New Haven Ravens where he batted .253 and improved his fielding percentage to .967 and was considered the Rockies' top prospect at shortstop
. The Rockies promoted Pérez to triple-A Colorado Springs Sky Sox
at the end of the 1995 season with the intention of bringing him up to the major leagues the next year. In fact, although Pérez was invited to 1996 spring training
, he spent most of year with the Sky Sox and was not called up until the end of August, making his major league debut on August 31. In his season with the Sky Sox, his batting average had improved to .316. Commented Rockies manager Don Baylor
: "He is the guy who had the year that traditionally earns a
call up. I want to see what he can do." Pérez hit .156 over 17 games and returned to the Sky Sox for the beginning of the 1997 season.
Although invited to 1997 spring training Pérez did not make the 25-man roster and once again returned to the Sky Sox for the first half of the season, where he batted .363 with a .975 fielding percentage. In mid-June the Rockies summoned him in place of Jason Bates
, this time for good. Pérez batted .291 on the year and gradually replaced Walt Weiss
as the starting shortstop. Pérez remained Colorado's primary shortstop for the next three seasons (1998–2000), appearing in all but five games. His batting average hovered around .280 (.274, .280, .287) and he averaged thirty doubles a year. His fielding percentage never dropped below .975 and he won a Gold Glove for the 2000 season. Pérez got off to a strong start in 2001 but there was doubt over his future with Colorado. The Rockies had offered him a 4-year, $17 million contract in favor of a 1-year $3.55 million deal. In the end the Rockies dealt Pérez to the Kansas City Royals
as part of a three-way deal in which the Royals sent Jermaine Dye
to the Oakland Athletics
who then sent Mario Encarnacion
, José Ortiz
and Todd Belitz
. Denver Post sportswriter Woody Paige
criticized the move, calling Pérez "the best shortstop in the National League
" who was "an extraordinary defensive player, a capable offensive player and a classy team player."
amid widespread anger over the departure of fan-favorite Dye. Facing off against Dye in one of his first games as a Royal, Pérez took the low-key approach: "I'm just going to play my game." Pérez finished out the 2001 season in Kansas City, batting .241 over 49 games. Pérez started at shortstop for the 2002 season but his batting average sank to .236, leading sportswriters to question whether the rarefied air at Coors Field
had inflated Pérez's numbers. Pérez also may have sealed his fate by refusing to enter a late-season game at the request of manager Tony Peña
. At the end of the year the Royals were looking to move Pérez and his $4.1 million salary; he was eventually claimed off waivers by the San Francisco Giants
and signed a two-year, $4.25 million contract.
, while he lost out at shortstop to Deivi Cruz
. His batting average slumped to .232. He had a staunch defender in manager Felipe Alou, but in the end he was the "odd man out" and the Giants released him on August 14, 2004. Almost immediately the Chicago Cubs
signed Pérez to a minor-league contract.
, but he played only ten games before being called up to the expanded roster on September 1. Pérez became a much needed spark plug in the lineup, going 6 for 6 in his first 6 at-bats as a Cub and providing a needed backup to the ailing Nomar Garciaparra
. In 23 games with the Cubs he hit .371. The Cubs re-signed Pérez to a one-year contract worth between $1 million and $2.5 million.
Manager Dusty Baker
made Pérez the everyday shortstop in 2005 to replace Garciaparra, mainly on the strength of his defensive skills. His impatience at the plate led to a walk percentage of 3.1%, the worst in the National League. Pérez finished the season batting .274, and his play at short won rave reviews from Baker: "It's hard to play better shortstop defensively than Neifi has." In the off-season the Cubs signed Pérez to a two-year, $5 million contract.
For the 2006 season Pérez lost the starting job at shortstop to Ronny Cedeno
, and found himself playing a mixture of second base and short behind Cedeno and Todd Walker
. Meanwhile Pérez's batting average sagged to .254, while his on-base percentage, never high, had fallen to .266. In late August the Cubs traded him to the Detroit Tigers
for minor-league catcher Chris Robinson
. The Tigers were seeking a replacement for their injured second baseman
, Plácido Polanco
, who had separated his shoulder.
to the St. Louis Cardinals
. Pérez faced almost immediate criticism from fans after getting off to a .157 start, and manager Jim Leyland
felt obliged to come to his defense: "These guys making a big deal about Neifi Pérez and Omar Infante
don't know what they're talking about. They got no clue." Pérez made 21 appearances during the regular season, with a batting average of .200 and an OBP of .235. He appeared in three games during the playoffs but never reached base.
The Tigers retained Pérez for the 2007 season, although Leyland acknowledged that Pérez would have to improve his play: "I recommended that we trade for him. I take responsibility. I don't want people to get the wrong impression. I like Neifi Pérez, but he did not perform well. It's that simple." Pérez, however, continued to struggle, posting a .172 batting average over the 33 games he played in a Tigers' uniform. One bright spot came on June 12, 2007, when he saved Justin Verlander
's no-hitter
against the Milwaukee Brewers
by turning a possible base hit into an inning-ending double play
.
On July 6, 2007, Pérez was suspended 25 games by MLB for a second positive test for amphetamines; on August 3 he was suspended an additional 80 games for a third positive test. On October 31, 2007, Pérez filed for free agency
, ending his association with Tigers.
characterized as a "lifeline." In the end Colorado backed out, citing younger players competing for the same position.
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...
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...
player who most recently played for 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...
. He played with the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
(1996–2001), Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
(2001–2002), San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
(2003–2004), and the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
(2004–2006). Pérez was frequently praised for his defensive skills; among other achievements he won a Gold Glove in 2000 and turned a double play in 2007 which saved Justin Verlander
Justin Verlander
Justin Brooks Verlander is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball....
's no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
.
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado RockiesColorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
signed Pérez as an undrafted free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
in 1992 at the age of 18. Assigned to the single-A Bend Rockies for the 1993 season, Pérez posted a .260 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 :...
and stole
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
19 bases. The Rockies, confident in Pérez's potential, promoted him to the single-A Central Valley Rockies. Pérez exhibited strong defensive skills, executing the first unassisted triple play
Unassisted triple play
In baseball, an unassisted triple play occurs when a defensive player makes all three putouts by himself in one continuous play, without any teammates touching the ball . In Major League Baseball , it is one of the rarest of individual feats, along with hitting four home runs in one game and the...
in the history of the California League
California League
The California League is a Class A Advanced minor league baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. 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 a game against the Bakersfield Blaze
Bakersfield Blaze
The Bakersfield Blaze are a minor league baseball team in Bakersfield, California, USA. They are a Class A – Advanced team in the California League and are a farm team of the Cincinnati Reds. The Bakersfield Blaze play their home games at Historic Sam Lynn Ballpark...
. Pérez batted just .239 on the year but made the California League All-Star game and was considered to be one of the Rockies' top prospects on the basis of his defense. Rockies player development chief Dick Balderson
Dick Balderson
Richard Pendleton "Dick" Balderson was a Major League Baseball executive from 1977 to 2002 with several teams....
expressed confidence that Pérez's hitting would improve: "He's got all the skills...He's just in a rush right now, like most young guys."
Pérez moved up to the double-AA New Haven Ravens where he batted .253 and improved his fielding percentage to .967 and was considered the Rockies' top prospect 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 Rockies promoted Pérez to triple-A Colorado Springs Sky Sox
Colorado Springs Sky Sox
The Colorado Springs Sky Sox are a minor league baseball team in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team's colors are red and blue. The team plays in the Pacific Coast League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the major league Colorado Rockies...
at the end of the 1995 season with the intention of bringing him up to the major leagues the next year. In fact, although Pérez was invited to 1996 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...
, he spent most of year with the Sky Sox and was not called up until the end of August, making his major league debut on August 31. In his season with the Sky Sox, his batting average had improved to .316. Commented Rockies manager Don Baylor
Don Baylor
Donald Edward Baylor is a Major League Baseball coach currently the hitting coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and a former player and manager. During his 19-year playing career, he was a power hitter who played as a first baseman, outfielder, and designated hitter...
: "He is the guy who had the year that traditionally earns a
call up. I want to see what he can do." Pérez hit .156 over 17 games and returned to the Sky Sox for the beginning of the 1997 season.
Although invited to 1997 spring training Pérez did not make the 25-man roster and once again returned to the Sky Sox for the first half of the season, where he batted .363 with a .975 fielding percentage. In mid-June the Rockies summoned him in place of Jason Bates
Jason Bates
Jason Charles Bates is a former Major League Baseball infielder who played a total of four seasons, spanning from 1995-1998. Bates played his final game on September 27, 1998, as a member of the Colorado Rockies....
, this time for good. Pérez batted .291 on the year and gradually replaced Walt Weiss
Walt Weiss
Walter William Weiss is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball.Weiss was a member of the National League All-Star Team...
as the starting shortstop. Pérez remained Colorado's primary shortstop for the next three seasons (1998–2000), appearing in all but five games. His batting average hovered around .280 (.274, .280, .287) and he averaged thirty doubles a year. His fielding percentage never dropped below .975 and he won a Gold Glove for the 2000 season. Pérez got off to a strong start in 2001 but there was doubt over his future with Colorado. The Rockies had offered him a 4-year, $17 million contract in favor of a 1-year $3.55 million deal. In the end the Rockies dealt Pérez to the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
as part of a three-way deal in which the Royals sent Jermaine Dye
Jermaine Dye
Jermaine Trevell Dye is a retired American Major League Baseball right fielder and designated hitter. Dye played with the Atlanta Braves , Kansas City Royals , Oakland Athletics , and the Chicago White Sox . Dye won the World Series MVP with the White Sox in 2005...
to the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
who then sent Mario Encarnacion
Mario Encarnacion
Mario González Encarnación was a baseball outfielder born in Baní, Dominican Republic. He played for the Colorado Rockies and Chicago Cubs for a brief duration—23 games in and ....
, José Ortiz
José Ortiz (second baseman)
José Daniel Ortiz is a former Major League Baseball second baseman. He has played all or part of three seasons in the majors, and is currently playing for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of the Pacific League in Japan.-Early career and MLB debut:...
and Todd Belitz
Todd Belitz
Todd Belitz is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He is an alumnus of Washington State University....
. Denver Post sportswriter Woody Paige
Woody Paige
Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Paige, Jr. is a sports columnist for The Denver Post, author, and a regular panelist on the ESPN sports-talk program Around the Horn. He was also a co-host of Cold Pizza and its spin-off show 1st and 10 until Nov. 4, 2006, when it was announced that Paige would return to the...
criticized the move, calling Pérez "the best shortstop in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
" who was "an extraordinary defensive player, a capable offensive player and a classy team player."
Kansas City Royals
Pérez arrived in Kansas CityKansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
amid widespread anger over the departure of fan-favorite Dye. Facing off against Dye in one of his first games as a Royal, Pérez took the low-key approach: "I'm just going to play my game." Pérez finished out the 2001 season in Kansas City, batting .241 over 49 games. Pérez started at shortstop for the 2002 season but his batting average sank to .236, leading sportswriters to question whether the rarefied air at Coors Field
Coors Field
Coors Field, located in Denver, Colorado, is the home field of Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies. It is named for the Coors Brewing Company of Golden, Colorado, which purchased the naming rights to the park prior to its completion in 1995...
had inflated Pérez's numbers. Pérez also may have sealed his fate by refusing to enter a late-season game at the request of manager Tony Peña
Tony Peña
Antonio Francisco Peña Padilla is a former professional baseball player, manager and current coach. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball for the Pirates, Cardinals, Red Sox, Indians, White Sox, and Astros. Peña was the manager of the Kansas City Royals between 2002 and 2005. He...
. At the end of the year the Royals were looking to move Pérez and his $4.1 million salary; he was eventually claimed off waivers by the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
and signed a two-year, $4.25 million contract.
San Francisco Giants
At the Giants Pérez hoped for a fresh start; rumors had swirled in Kansas City about problems in the clubhouse, and it was no secret that the trade had been deeply unpopular in both Denver and Kansas City. Commented Pérez: "I feel happy here. I like the National League. I was happy in Colorado and I am happy here." Pérez hit .256 over the course of the 2003 season; an improvement on his previous season but a far cry from the Colorado days. Pérez returned for the 2004 season, but the situation in San Francisco had become uncomfortable. Although signed as a starter at second base, he quickly became backup to José Cruz, Jr.José Cruz, Jr.
José Luis Cruz, Jr. is a retired Major League Baseball outfielder. Over his nine year playing career, Cruz played for eight different teams. Standing 6'0" tall and weighing 210 pounds, Cruz was a right-handed switch hitter...
, while he lost out at shortstop to Deivi Cruz
Deivi Cruz
Deivi Cruz Garcia , is a former baseball shortstop who last played for the Bridgeport Bluefish of the independent Atlantic League.He was released by the St...
. His batting average slumped to .232. He had a staunch defender in manager Felipe Alou, but in the end he was the "odd man out" and the Giants released him on August 14, 2004. Almost immediately the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
signed Pérez to a minor-league contract.
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs assigned Pérez to the triple-A Iowa CubsIowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs are a Triple-A minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Chicago Cubs, that plays in the Pacific Coast League. Their home games are played in Des Moines, Iowa, at Principal Park.-Franchise history:...
, but he played only ten games before being called up to the expanded roster on September 1. Pérez became a much needed spark plug in the lineup, going 6 for 6 in his first 6 at-bats as a Cub and providing a needed backup to the ailing Nomar Garciaparra
Nomar Garciaparra
Anthony Nomar Garciaparra is a former Major League Baseball player. After playing parts of 9 seasons as an All-Star shortstop for the Boston Red Sox, he played third base, first base, and designated hitter for the Oakland Athletics, first base and third base for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and...
. In 23 games with the Cubs he hit .371. The Cubs re-signed Pérez to a one-year contract worth between $1 million and $2.5 million.
Manager Dusty Baker
Dusty Baker
Johnnie B. "Dusty" Baker, Jr. is a former player and current manager in Major League Baseball, currently the manager of the Cincinnati Reds. He enjoyed a 19-year career as a hard-hitting outfielder, mostly with the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers...
made Pérez the everyday shortstop in 2005 to replace Garciaparra, mainly on the strength of his defensive skills. His impatience at the plate led to a walk percentage of 3.1%, the worst in the National League. Pérez finished the season batting .274, and his play at short won rave reviews from Baker: "It's hard to play better shortstop defensively than Neifi has." In the off-season the Cubs signed Pérez to a two-year, $5 million contract.
For the 2006 season Pérez lost the starting job at shortstop to Ronny Cedeno
Ronny Cedeño
Ronny Alexander Cedeño is a Venezuelan Major League Baseball shortstop. He bats and throws right-handed and was born in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela...
, and found himself playing a mixture of second base and short behind Cedeno and Todd Walker
Todd Walker
Todd Arthur Walker is a former Major League Baseball infielder.-College:Walker attended LSU where he led the Tigers to the 1993 national championship. He also earned the 1993 College World Series Most Outstanding Player award. In 2006, Walker was elected to the LSU Hall of Fame...
. Meanwhile Pérez's batting average sagged to .254, while his on-base percentage, never high, had fallen to .266. In late August the Cubs traded him to 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...
for minor-league catcher Chris Robinson
Chris Robinson (baseball)
Christopher J. Robinson is a Canadian baseball catcher. He also played for Canada at the 2008 Olympics.-External links:***...
. The Tigers were seeking a replacement for their injured second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
, Plácido Polanco
Plácido Polanco
Plácido Enrique Polanco is a Major League Baseball player who plays for the Philadelphia Phillies and has also played for the St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers. He is a third baseman, but in the past has played second base and shortstop...
, who had separated his shoulder.
Detroit Tigers
Pérez arrived in Detroit during the pennant chase which ended with their loss in the World Series2006 World Series
The 2006 World Series, the 102nd edition of Major League Baseball's championship series, began on October 21 and ended on October 27, and matched the American League champion Detroit Tigers against the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals won the Series in five games, taking...
to the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
. Pérez faced almost immediate criticism from fans after getting off to a .157 start, and manager Jim Leyland
Jim Leyland
James Richard "Jim" Leyland is a Major League Baseball manager, currently with the Detroit Tigers.He led the Florida Marlins to a World Series championship in 1997, and previously won three straight division titles with the Pittsburgh Pirates...
felt obliged to come to his defense: "These guys making a big deal about Neifi Pérez and Omar Infante
Omar Infante
Omar Rafael Infante [in-FAHN-tay] is a Major League Baseball utility player who is currently on the Miami Marlins...
don't know what they're talking about. They got no clue." Pérez made 21 appearances during the regular season, with a batting average of .200 and an OBP of .235. He appeared in three games during the playoffs but never reached base.
The Tigers retained Pérez for the 2007 season, although Leyland acknowledged that Pérez would have to improve his play: "I recommended that we trade for him. I take responsibility. I don't want people to get the wrong impression. I like Neifi Pérez, but he did not perform well. It's that simple." Pérez, however, continued to struggle, posting a .172 batting average over the 33 games he played in a Tigers' uniform. One bright spot came on June 12, 2007, when he saved Justin Verlander
Justin Verlander
Justin Brooks Verlander is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball....
's no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
against the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
by turning a possible base hit into an inning-ending double play
Double play
In baseball, a double play for a team or a fielder is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. In baseball slang, making a double play is referred to as "turning two"....
.
On July 6, 2007, Pérez was suspended 25 games by MLB for a second positive test for amphetamines; on August 3 he was suspended an additional 80 games for a third positive test. On October 31, 2007, Pérez filed for free agency
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
, ending his association with Tigers.
Possible comeback
In February 2008 there was talk of the Colorado Rockies signing Pérez to a minor league contract worth $750,000, which manager Clint HurdleClint Hurdle
Clinton Merrick Hurdle is a former Major League Baseball outfielder whose 10-year career was spent with the Kansas City Royals, Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, and St. Louis Cardinals. After retiring from playing baseball, Hurdle became a manager...
characterized as a "lifeline." In the end Colorado backed out, citing younger players competing for the same position.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball triples champions
- Hitting for the cycleHitting for the cycleIn baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter hitting a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that order is known as a "natural cycle". Cycles are uncommon in Major League Baseball , occurring 293 times since the first by Curry...
- List of sportspeople sanctioned for doping offences