Eduardo Rafael Pérez (born May 4, 1968) is a Venezuelan-American former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the ( home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the ca ...

. Since 2007, he has served as a coach for the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in Bos ...

. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) for the Braves,

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive Fi ...

, and Milwaukee Brewers. During his tenure with the Braves, Pérez was notable for being the personal catcher for Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux and for being named the Most Valuable Player of the

1999 National League Championship Series The 1999 National League Championship Series (NLCS), to determine the champion of Major League Baseball's National League, was played between two East Division rivals, the division champion Atlanta Braves and the wild card New York Mets. After ...

Baseball playing career

Born in

Ciudad Ojeda Ciudad Ojeda is a city located in the northeastern shore of Lake Maracaibo in Zulia State in northwestern Venezuela. Its population as of the 2005 census was listed as 128,941. History Ciudad Ojeda was founded on January 19, 1937, by former pr ...

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

, Pérez was signed by the Atlanta Braves as an amateur free agent in 1986. He spent eight seasons in the Braves' minor league system, eventually progressing to their Triple-A affiliate, the Richmond Braves. In , he was named the Most Valuable Player of the Venezuelan Winter League. He posted a .265

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

with 19 doubles and 40

runs batted in A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the ba ...

with Richmond in , earning a late season call up to Atlanta. Pérez made his major league debut with the Braves at the age of 27 on September 10,

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The Great Hanshin earthquake str ...

. In his first game as a starting player on September 15, he hit a

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

for his first major league hit. Pérez made the post-season roster, but didn't get to play as the Braves went on to win the

1995 World Series The 1995 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1995 season. The 91st edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the National League (NL) champion Atlanta Braves and the Ameri ...

. Pérez served as the Braves' back up catcher behind Javy López, but by June 1996, he had taken on the role of personal catcher for Greg Maddux, a job previously held by Charlie O'Brien who had been granted

free agency In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is ...

during the off-season. The Braves went on to win the

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...

pennant before losing to the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...

in the 1996 World Series. On September 17, 1997, Pérez hit a

grand slam Grand Slam most often refers to: * Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to: Games and sports * Grand slam, winning category te ...

against the San Francisco Giants, enabling the Braves to tie a major league team record with 11 grand slams in one season. With Pérez as his catcher, Maddux ended the year with a 2.20

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

, second best in the National League, as the Braves once again clinched the National League East Division crown. The Braves swept the Houston Astros in three games in the 1997 National League Division Series before losing to the eventual world champion

Florida Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park. The fran ...

in the

1997 National League Championship Series The 1997 National League Championship Series (NLCS) pitted the Florida Marlins against the Atlanta Braves. The Marlins won the series, 4–2, and went on to defeat the Cleveland Indians in the 1997 World Series. Background Both teams hailed fro ...

. Pérez had his best year in

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently s ...

when he posted a .336 batting average along with a .404 on-base percentage in 61 games. He committed only 1

error An error (from the Latin ''error'', meaning "wandering") is an action which is inaccurate or incorrect. In some usages, an error is synonymous with a mistake. The etymology derives from the Latin term 'errare', meaning 'to stray'. In statistics ...

in 305

total chances In baseball statistics, total chances (TC), also called ''chances offered'', represents the number of plays in which a defensive player has participated. It is the sum of putouts plus assists plus errors. ''Chances accepted'' refers to the total ...

for a .997 fielding percentage. His working relationship with Maddux continued to improve with Maddux leading the National League with 5

shutouts In team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball. Shutouts are usuall ...

, and a 2.22 earned run average. The Braves once again claimed the National League East Division crown and defeated the Chicago Cubs in three games in the 1998 National League Division Series. Pérez hit an eighth- inning grand slam home run in the decisive Game 3 of the series. However, the Braves' season ended when they lost to the

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penn ...

in the 1998 National League Championship Series. In 1999, Pérez was thrust into a starting role when Javy López suffered an injury to a ligament in his right knee in late July and was lost for the season. He stepped in with a .249 batting average along with 7 home runs, 30 runs batted in, and finished fourth in the league in fielding percentage and in range factor. The Braves won their fifth consecutive National League East Division title and then defeated the Houston Astros in four games in the

1999 National League Division Series The 1999 National League Division Series (NLDS), the opening round of the 1999 National League playoffs, began on Tuesday, October 5, and ended on Saturday, October 9, with the champions of the three NL divisions—along with a "wild card" team� ...

. In the

against the New York Mets, Pérez, normally known for his defensive skills, became an offensive standout. He hit a home run in Game 1 to help the Braves win 4–2. He followed with a two- run, sixth-inning home run in Game 2 that broke a 2–2 tie. Pérez contributed a two-run single in the deciding Game 6 as the Braves won 10–9 in 11 innings. He totaled 10 hits in 20

at bats In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a batt ...

for a .500 batting average along with 2 home runs and 5 runs batted in to earn him the

League Championship Series Most Valuable Player Award The League Championship Series Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award is given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players deemed to have the most impact on their teams' performances in each of the two respective League Championship Series tha ...

. After an emotionally draining National League Championship series, the Braves were swept by the

in four games in the

1999 World Series The 1999 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1999 season. The 95th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the defending American League (AL) and World Series champion New York ...

. In May

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...

, Pérez suffered a torn rotator cuff and missed the entire season. He re-injured the same shoulder in March of 2001 and only appeared in 5 games that season. In March 2002, Pérez was traded to the

who were in need of a backup catcher. Pérez became expendable after the Braves acquired catcher

Henry Blanco Henry Ramón Blanco (born August 29, 1971) is a Venezuelan professional baseball coach and former player. He is currently the catching and strategy coach for the Washington Nationals. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from 1997 to ...

. Pérez spent the 2002 season as backup to Einar Diaz and was granted free agency at the end of the year. In January 2003, he signed a contract to play for the Milwaukee Brewers. Pérez was in a

platoon system A platoon system in baseball or American football is a method for substituting players in groups (platoons), to keep complementary players together during playing time. Baseball In baseball, a platoon is a method of sharing playing time, where ...

alongside Keith Osik in which he started three out of every five games. He was hitting for a .315 batting average by mid-season, but tapered off to finish the season with a .271 average along with career-highs in home runs (11) and runs batted in (45). In December 2003, Pérez signed a contract to return to play for the Braves. He served as a backup catcher to

Johnny Estrada Johnny Pulado Estrada III (born June 27, 1976) is an American former professional baseball catcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers, and Washington N ...

in 2004 and 2005. On May 18, 2004, he was the last out of Randy Johnson's perfect game, being called upon to pinch-hit for pitcher

Mike Hampton Michael William Hampton, Jr. (born September 9, 1972) is an American former professional baseball player. Hampton played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a pitcher from 1993 through 2010. He pitched for the Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, New ...

because of excellent career numbers against Johnson (6 hits in 13 at-bats). Nonetheless, he struck out to end the perfect game. He suffered

tendinitis Tendinopathy, a type of tendon disorder that results in pain, swelling, and impaired function. The pain is typically worse with movement. It most commonly occurs around the shoulder (rotator cuff tendinitis, biceps tendinitis), elbow (tennis elbo ...

in his right shoulder during the 2005 season and was placed on the disabled list for most of the season. While on the disabled list, Perez's duties as catcher were taken over by Brian McCann who eventually took over as the Braves' starting catcher. He returned to make one final major league appearance as a pinch hitter on September 27, at the age of 37.

Career statistics

In an eleven-year major league career, Pérez played in 564 games, accumulating 386 hits in 1,525

for a .253 career batting average along with 40 home runs, 172 runs batted in and a .297 on-base percentage. He ended his career with a .991 fielding percentage.

Coaching career

In , Pérez was a player-coach for the Double-A

Mississippi Braves The Mississippi Braves, or M-Braves as they are referred to locally, are a Minor League Baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, a suburb of Jackson. The team is the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves and plays in the Southern League. ...

. Atlanta Braves manager

Bobby Cox Robert Joe Cox (born May 21, 1941) is an American former professional baseball third baseman and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). Cox played for the New York Yankees and managed the Atlanta Braves and Toronto Blue Jays. He is a member of ...

named Pérez as his bullpen coach for the 2007 season. When Fredi Gonzalez was named the Braves manager for the 2011 season, he retained Pérez as his bullpen coach. After the Braves fired Gonzalez he was moved to be the current first base coach for the new manager Brian Snitker. Pérez was hired as the manager for the Águilas del Zulia of the Venezuelan Winter League for two seasons, 2008-2010. He rejoined the team in the 2014 season. In 2015, Pérez managed the

Tigres de Aragua The Tigres de Aragua ( en, Aragua Tigers) is a baseball team that plays in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League and represents the state of Aragua. Founded in 1965, the Tigres plays its home games at the Estadio José Pérez Colmenares i ...

Personal life

On August 13, 2014, Pérez, his wife, and his daughter became naturalized U.S. citizens. Pérez, who will retain his Venezuelan citizenship, has lived in the Atlanta area since 1994. His son Andres was drafted in the 36th round of the

2016 Major League Baseball draft The 2016 Major League Baseball (MLB) First-Year Player Draft began on June 9, 2016, to assign amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The draft order is the reverse order of the 2015 MLB season standings. In addition, compensation picks will be di ...

. Andres declined the draft offer and attended college instead. He will enter the draft again in 2021.

References

External links

Eddie Pérez
at Pura Pelota (Venezuelan Professional Baseball League)

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