Timo Pérez
Encyclopedia
Timoniel M. "Timo" Pérez (born April 8, 1975 in Baní
, Dominican Republic
) is a Major League Baseball
outfielder
who is currently in the Detroit Tigers
organization.
of the Japanese Central League
from -. His best season in Japan was 1998, when he hit .296 in 98 games.
of Major League Baseball signed Pérez as a free agent
in . A September 1 callup, he made his Major League debut on September 1 against the St. Louis Cardinals
. He singled to center field as a pinch hitter against Cardinals reliever Dave Veres
and was then thrown out trying to steal second. He hit a combined 12-for-40 in the 2000 National League Division Series
and 2000 National League Championship Series
.
In Game 1 of the 2000 World Series
against the New York Yankees
, Pérez was involved in an infamous play. With Pérez on first base, Todd Zeile
hit a long fly ball that Pérez thought to be a home run
, causing him to slow down on the basepaths. However, the ball hit off the outfield wall and stayed in the park. Pérez's error in judgment caused him to be thrown out at home plate
trying to score on the play. Overall, he played in 5 games in the World Series for the Mets, and had two hits in 17 at-bats.
After another brief period with the Triple-A Norfolk Tides
in , he became a Mets regular. From 2000-2003 with the Mets, Pérez played in 372 games and hit .276 with 18 homers and 114 runs batted in.
of the American League
during spring training in 2004, in exchange for Matt Ginter
. He was the fourth outfielder on their 2005 World Series
championship team, only recording one at-bat in the series. In two seasons with the White Sox, he hit .235 in 179 games.
signed Pérez to a minor league contract, but he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals
on April 21. Timo began his time with the Cardinals in the minor leagues and was promoted to the major league team on June 2, 2006. In his first Cardinal at-bat, he was hit
in the head with a pitch. He split his time between the Cardinals and the Memphis Redbirds
before being designated for assignment on August 23. He played in 23 games with the Cards and hit .194.
, and was called up on July 19, 2007 to replace the injured Marcus Thames
. Pérez began the season with the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens
, where his play earned him a spot on the 2007 International League
All Star Team. Pérez was named MVP of the Triple-A All-Star game after going 3-4 with 2 RBI
and a run
scored. At the time of his callup, he was leading the league in hits
, runs, and doubles
, and was second in batting average
. Pérez was optioned back to Toledo on July 23, 2007. Then on August 28, 2007 he was recalled when designated hitter
Gary Sheffield
was placed on the 15-day disabled list
.
Pérez was designated for assignment on November 30, 2007. He accepted an outright assignment to the minor leagues on December 7, 2007. The Tigers re-signed him on December 11, 2007, and placed him on the 40-man roster. He played with the Toledo Mud Hens
for the entire Triple-A season and became a free agent at the end of the season, but re-signed with the Tigers in January .
of the Mexican League He played in 77 games with them and hit .323. On August 13, 2009, Perez signed with Independent Can-Am League team New Jersey Jackals
. He played in 21 games for the Jackals and hit .338.
with an invite to spring training. He was assigned to the AAA Albuquerque Isotopes
.
On July 7, 2010, he was released from his contract.
on July 22, 2010 and was assigned to their AA affiliate in Reading, PA.
Baní
Baní is a capital town of the Peravia Province, Dominican Republic. It is the commercial and manufacturing center in a region producing bananas and coffee.- Overview :...
, Dominican Republic
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...
) is a 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...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
who is currently in 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...
organization.
Hiroshima Toyo Carp
Pérez began his professional career by playing for the Hiroshima Toyo CarpHiroshima Toyo Carp
The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Central League. The team is primarily owned by the Matsuda family, led by , who is a descendant of Mazda founder Jujiro Matsuda. Mazda is the largest single shareholder , which is less than the portion owned by the Matsuda family . Because of that,...
of the Japanese Central League
Central League
The or is one the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship plays against the winner of the Pacific League in the annual Japan Series. It currently consists of six teams from around the country,The Central League...
from -. His best season in Japan was 1998, when he hit .296 in 98 games.
New York Mets
The New York MetsNew York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
of Major League Baseball signed Pérez as a 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 . A September 1 callup, he made his Major League debut on September 1 against 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...
. He singled to center field as a pinch hitter against Cardinals reliever Dave Veres
Dave Veres
David Scott Veres is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1994-2003. On January 4, 2007, he signed a minor league deal with the Colorado Rockies. However, he was released after appearing in just 5 games for their AAA affiliate in Colorado Springs...
and was then thrown out trying to steal second. He hit a combined 12-for-40 in the 2000 National League Division Series
2000 National League Division Series
-St. Louis Cardinals vs. Atlanta Braves:-Game 1, October 4:Pacific Bell Park in San Francisco, CaliforniaGiants Pitcher Liván Hernández allowed one run and five hits over a inning effort, backed by a three-run home run by Ellis Burks as the Giants cruised to an easy 5–1 victory.-Game 2, October...
and 2000 National League Championship Series
2000 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 11, 2000 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriThe Mets jumped on Cardinals starter Darryl Kile right from the outset. Rookie Timo Pérez led off the game with a double into the right field corner, and following a walk to Edgardo Alfonzo, scored on a double by Mike Piazza...
.
In Game 1 of the 2000 World Series
2000 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 21, 2000 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkThe opener fell on two anniversaries. Twenty-five years prior, Boston Red Sox's catcher Carlton Fisk ended Game 6 of the 1975 World Series with his famous home run off the left field foul pole in Fenway Park in Boston to beat...
against the 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...
, Pérez was involved in an infamous play. With Pérez on first base, Todd Zeile
Todd Zeile
Todd Edward Zeile is a former catcher, third baseman, and first baseman in Major League Baseball who played from 1989 to . After graduating from UCLA, where he played as a catcher, Zeile played for 11 Major League teams during his career: the St...
hit a long fly ball that Pérez thought to be a 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...
, causing him to slow down on the basepaths. However, the ball hit off the outfield wall and stayed in the park. Pérez's error in judgment caused him to be thrown out at home plate
Home Plate
Home Plate is the fifth album by Bonnie Raitt, released in 1975 .-Track listing:#"What Do You Want the Boy to Do?" – 3:19#"Good Enough" – 2:56#"Run Like a Thief" – 3:02...
trying to score on the play. Overall, he played in 5 games in the World Series for the Mets, and had two hits in 17 at-bats.
After another brief period with the Triple-A Norfolk Tides
Norfolk Tides
The Norfolk Tides are a minor league baseball team in the Triple-A International League. They play at Harbor Park in Norfolk, Virginia. Since 2007 they have been a farm team of the Baltimore Orioles; prior to that, they had a 38-year affiliation with the New York Mets.-Franchise history:The...
in , he became a Mets regular. From 2000-2003 with the Mets, Pérez played in 372 games and hit .276 with 18 homers and 114 runs batted in.
Chicago White Sox
Pérez was traded to the Chicago White SoxChicago 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...
of 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...
during spring training in 2004, in exchange for Matt Ginter
Matt Ginter
Matthew Shane Ginter , is a right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros organization....
. He was the fourth outfielder on their 2005 World Series
2005 World Series
The 2005 World Series, the 101st Major League Baseball championship series, saw the American League champion Chicago White Sox sweep the National League champion Houston Astros four games to none in the best-of-seven-games series, winning their third championship and first since 1917.Home-field...
championship team, only recording one at-bat in the series. In two seasons with the White Sox, he hit .235 in 179 games.
St. Louis Cardinals
On February 10, 2006, the Cincinnati RedsCincinnati 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....
signed Pérez to a minor league contract, but he was traded 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...
on April 21. Timo began his time with the Cardinals in the minor leagues and was promoted to the major league team on June 2, 2006. In his first Cardinal at-bat, he was hit
Hit by pitch
In baseball, hit by pitch , or hit batsman , is a batter or his equipment being hit in some part of his body by a pitch from the pitcher.-Official rule:...
in the head with a pitch. He split his time between the Cardinals and the Memphis Redbirds
Memphis Redbirds
The Memphis Redbirds are the Triple-A minor league baseball affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They play their home games at AutoZone Park in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. The stadium's capacity is 14,320. They entered the Pacific Coast League as an expansion team in 1998, and were owned as a...
before being designated for assignment on August 23. He played in 23 games with the Cards and hit .194.
Detroit Tigers
On January 5, 2007, Pérez signed a minor league contract with the Detroit TigersDetroit 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...
, and was called up on July 19, 2007 to replace the injured Marcus Thames
Marcus Thames
Marcus Markley Thames is an American professional baseball outfielder. He has previously played for the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers....
. Pérez began the season with the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens
Toledo Mud Hens
The Toledo Mud Hens are a minor league baseball team located in Toledo, Ohio. The Mud Hens play in the International League, and are affiliated with the major league baseball team the Detroit Tigers, based approximately 50 miles to the north of Toledo. The current team is one of several...
, where his play earned him a spot on the 2007 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...
All Star Team. Pérez was named MVP of the Triple-A All-Star game after going 3-4 with 2 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
and a run
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...
scored. At the time of his callup, he was leading the league in hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
, runs, and doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, and was second in 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 :...
. Pérez was optioned back to Toledo on July 23, 2007. Then on August 28, 2007 he was recalled when designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
Gary Sheffield
Gary Sheffield
Gary Antonian Sheffield , nicknamed "Sheff", is an American retired Major League Baseball outfielder. He played for eight major league ball clubs from 1988 to 2009, primarily as an outfielder.-Biography:...
was placed on the 15-day disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
.
Pérez was designated for assignment on November 30, 2007. He accepted an outright assignment to the minor leagues on December 7, 2007. The Tigers re-signed him on December 11, 2007, and placed him on the 40-man roster. He played with the Toledo Mud Hens
Toledo Mud Hens
The Toledo Mud Hens are a minor league baseball team located in Toledo, Ohio. The Mud Hens play in the International League, and are affiliated with the major league baseball team the Detroit Tigers, based approximately 50 miles to the north of Toledo. The current team is one of several...
for the entire Triple-A season and became a free agent at the end of the season, but re-signed with the Tigers in January .
2009
He was released by the Tigers in April 2009 and signed with the Rojos del Aguila de VeracruzRojos del Aguila de Veracruz
The Rojos del Águila de Veracruz are a AAA-level baseball team playing in the Mexican League.They play at the Estadio Universitario Beto Ávila in Veracruz, Veracruz....
of the Mexican League He played in 77 games with them and hit .323. On August 13, 2009, Perez signed with Independent Can-Am League team New Jersey Jackals
New Jersey Jackals
The New Jersey Jackals are a professional baseball team based in Little Falls, New Jersey, in the United States. The Jackals are a member of the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
. He played in 21 games for the Jackals and hit .338.
Los Angeles Dodgers
On January 28, 2010, Pérez signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles DodgersLos Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
with an invite to spring training. He was assigned to the AAA Albuquerque Isotopes
Albuquerque Isotopes
The Albuquerque Isotopes are a minor league baseball team based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The team, which plays in the Pacific Coast League, is the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers...
.
On July 7, 2010, he was released from his contract.
Philadelphia Phillies
Pérez signed a minor league contract with the Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia 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...
on July 22, 2010 and was assigned to their AA affiliate in Reading, PA.