Tony Pérez
Encyclopedia
Atanasio Pérez Rigal more commonly known as Tony Pérez, is a former Major League Baseball
player. He was also known by the nickname "Big Dog," "Big Doggie," and "Doggie."
Until he was traded in December, , Pérez was a key member of Cincinnati's "Big Red Machine
". Apart from his years with the Reds (1964–76, 1984–86), he also played for the Montreal Expos
(1977–79), Boston Red Sox
(1980–82) and Philadelphia Phillies
(1983). He finished his career with a .279 batting average
, 379 home run
s, 1652 runs batted in and 1272 runs scored
. After retiring, Pérez went on to manage the Reds and Florida Marlins
. He currently holds the title of Special Assistant to the General Manager with the Marlins. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000
.
in when he played for the San Diego Padres
(then a minor league
club). Perez hit .309 with 34 home runs and 107 RBI for the Padres. His performance earned him a promotion to the Reds in the homestretch of the 1964 season.
Pérez was selected to his first All-Star
team in . The game, played on July 11, 1967, at Anaheim Stadium
, went into 15 innings and was then the longest All-Star Game in history. (The 2008 All Star Game also went to 15 innings, and is the longest All-Star Game in terms of elapsed time, at four hours 50 minutes.) It was Pérez's home run off future fellow Hall of Famer Catfish Hunter
that propelled the National League to victory. He was subsequently voted the Most Valuable Player of the 1967 All-Star Game.
In , Pérez hit the first home run in Pittsburgh
's Three Rivers Stadium
. 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. He came in third in the Most Valuable Player voting behind Billy Williams and winner Johnny Bench
, his Cincinnati Reds teammate who had one of the best offensive seasons in the history of catchers that year (.293/45/148), in addition to winning a Gold Glove.
in the early part of his career with the Cincinnati Reds
, from 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 eleven-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 in , the Reds went to the World Series four times in seven years, winning back-to-back world championships in and , with Pérez starting at first base. Following the Red's sweep of the Phillies in the League Championship Series and New York Yankees
in the 1976 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 with Will McEnaney
for Woodie Fryman
and Dale Murray
. 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 in . 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 in Montreal
(in which he hit 46 home runs with 242 RBIs and a .281 batting average), for the 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 ten in the American League
in intentional walks (11), home runs (25) and RBIs (105), and won the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award
. Conversely, he also ranked among the top ten in strikeout
s and led all American League batters by grounding into 25 double play
s.
and Joe Morgan
on the Philadelphia Phillies. Still a feared hitter based on his reputation, Pérez was a reserve player on the 1983 National League Champion Phillies, 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 the season.
, was the third baseman on Stein's Latin team.
(Tony Pérez was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1998.)
In , Pérez was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. He had the honor of being elected by the Baseball Writers, garnering 385 votes on 499 ballots for a total of 77.15%, just over the three-quarters minimum required for induction. Tony Perez was also inducted into the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum
Hall of Fame.
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...
player. He was also known by the nickname "Big Dog," "Big Doggie," and "Doggie."
Until he was traded in December, , Pérez was a key member of Cincinnati's "Big Red Machine
The Big Red Machine
The Big Red Machine is the nickname given to the Cincinnati Reds baseball team which dominated the National League from 1970 to 1976, recognized as among the best in baseball. Over that span, the team won five National League Western Division titles, four National League pennants, and two World...
". Apart from his years with the Reds (1964–76, 1984–86), he also played for the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
(1977–79), Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
(1980–82) and Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
(1983). He finished his career with a .279 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 :...
, 379 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, 1652 runs batted in and 1272 runs scored
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
. After retiring, Pérez went on to manage the Reds and Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
. He currently holds the title of Special Assistant to the General Manager with the Marlins. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000
Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 2000
Elections to the Baseball Hall of Fame for 2000 followed the system in use since 1995.The Baseball Writers Association of America voted by mail to select from recent major league players andelected two: Carlton Fisk and Tony Perez....
.
Early career
Tony Pérez was named as the Most Valuable Player in the Pacific Coast LeaguePacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
in when he played for the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres (PCL)
The San Diego Padres were a minor league baseball team which played in the Pacific Coast League from 1936 through 1968. The team that would eventually become the Padres was well traveled prior to moving to San Diego. It began its existence in 1903 as the Sacramento Solons, a charter member of the PCL...
(then a minor league
Minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
club). Perez hit .309 with 34 home runs and 107 RBI for the Padres. His performance earned him a promotion to the Reds in the homestretch of the 1964 season.
Pérez was selected to his first All-Star
All-star
All-star is a term designating an individual as having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry...
team in . The game, played on July 11, 1967, at Anaheim Stadium
Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Angel Stadium of Anaheim is a modern-style ballpark located in Anaheim, California. It is the home ballpark to Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of the American League, and was previously home to the NFL's Los Angeles Rams...
, went into 15 innings and was then the longest All-Star Game in history. (The 2008 All Star Game also went to 15 innings, and is the longest All-Star Game in terms of elapsed time, at four hours 50 minutes.) It was Pérez's home run off future fellow Hall of Famer Catfish Hunter
Catfish Hunter
James Augustus "Catfish" Hunter , was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. During a 15-year baseball career, he pitched from 1965-1979 for both the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees...
that propelled the National League to victory. He was subsequently voted the Most Valuable Player of the 1967 All-Star Game.
In , Pérez hit the first home run in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
's Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's Major League Baseball franchise and National Football League franchise respectively.Built as a replacement to...
. 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. He came in third in the Most Valuable Player voting behind Billy Williams and winner Johnny Bench
Johnny Bench
Johnny Lee Bench is a former professional baseball catcher who played in the Major Leagues for the Cincinnati Reds from 1967 to 1983 and is a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame...
, his Cincinnati Reds teammate who had one of the best offensive seasons in the history of catchers that year (.293/45/148), in addition to winning a Gold Glove.
Big Red Machine
After playing third baseThird 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...
in the early part of his career with the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
, from onward he starred at first base
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
. 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 eleven-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 in , the Reds went to the World Series four times in seven years, winning back-to-back world championships in and , with Pérez starting at first base. Following the Red's sweep of the Phillies in the League Championship Series and New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
in the 1976 World Series
1976 World Series
The 1976 World Series matched the defending champion Cincinnati Reds of the National League against the New York Yankees of the American League, with the Reds sweeping the Series to repeat. The Reds became the only team to sweep an entire multi-tier postseason. The Reds are also the last National...
(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 with Will McEnaney
Will McEnaney
William Henry McEnaney is a former professional baseball player. He was a left-handed pitcher over parts of 6 seasons in Major League Baseball with the Cincinnati Reds, Montreal Expos, Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals. He was a member of the 1975 and 1976 World Series champion "Big Red...
for Woodie Fryman
Woodie Fryman
Woodrow Thompson Fryman was a Major League Baseball pitcher. A two-time National League All-Star, he is best remembered as the mid-season acquisition that helped lead the Detroit Tigers to the 1972 American League Championship Series.-Pittsburgh Pirates:Fryman was 25 years old when he signed with...
and Dale Murray
Dale Murray
Dale Albert Murray is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was drafted by the Montreal Expos out of Blinn College in Brenham, Texas in the eighteenth round of the 1970 Major League Baseball Draft, and developed into one of the top relief pitchers in the National League in the mid...
. 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 in . Sparky Anderson
Sparky Anderson
George Lee "Sparky" Anderson was an American Major League Baseball manager. He managed the National League's Cincinnati Reds to the 1975 and 1976 championships, then added a third title in 1984 with the Detroit Tigers of the American League. He was the first manager to win the World Series in both...
, 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 in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
(in which he hit 46 home runs with 242 RBIs and a .281 batting average), for the 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 ten in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
in intentional walks (11), home runs (25) and RBIs (105), and won the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award
Lou Gehrig Memorial Award
The Lou Gehrig Memorial Award was created by the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity in honor of the former Major League Baseball player Lou Gehrig, who was a member of the fraternity at Columbia University. It is given to players who best exemplify his character and integrity both on and off the field...
. Conversely, he also ranked among the top ten in strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s and led all American League batters by grounding into 25 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"....
s.
Big Red Machine reunion
For the season, Pérez reunited with "Big Red Machine" teammates Pete RosePete Rose
Peter Edward Rose , nicknamed "Charlie Hustle", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989....
and Joe Morgan
Joe Morgan
Joe Leonard Morgan is a former Major League Baseball second baseman who played for the Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, and Oakland Athletics from 1963 to 1984. He won two World Series championships with the Reds in 1975 and 1976 and was also named the...
on the Philadelphia Phillies. Still a feared hitter based on his reputation, Pérez was a reserve player on the 1983 National League Champion Phillies, 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 the season.
Legacy
Pérez was a seven time All-Star who was voted the Most Valuable Player of the 1967 All-Star Game. In a 1976 article in Esquire magazine, sportswriter Harry Stein published an "All Time All-Star Argument Starter," consisting of five ethnic baseball teams. Pérez, a CubanCubans
Cubans or Cuban people are the inhabitants or citizens of Cuba. Cuba is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
, was the third baseman on Stein's Latin team.
(Tony Pérez was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 1998.)
In , Pérez was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. He had the honor of being elected by the Baseball Writers, garnering 385 votes on 499 ballots for a total of 77.15%, just over the three-quarters minimum required for induction. Tony Perez was also inducted into the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum
Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum
The Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame, Inc., was founded in San Francisco, California, in June 1999 by its founder Mr.Gabriel "Tito" Avila, Jr., as a way to honor the greatest Hispanic baseball players of all time. The organization is a not-for-profit institution...
Hall of Fame.
Managerial records
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