Atanacio the Big Red Dog

Tony Pérez had a career that just seemed a half-step behind. He was part of the Big Red Machine in the seventies, but he was arguably the fourth or fifth best player on the team. He received MVP votes seven times, but only finished in the top five once. He never led the league in any offensive category unless you count the 25 times he grounded into a double play in 1980. Even still, he is enshrined in Cooperstown behind a career of 379 home runs over twenty-three seasons.

1965 – Cincinnati Reds

LEDGER ONE: April 13 vs Milwaukee Braves

Pérez’s first career home run came in the Reds’ second game of the 1965 season and it was a big one. With the Reds already up by one in the fifth inning, Pérez sent a blast to deep center field for a grand slam.

Pérez would do very well against the Braves in his career to the tune of 40 home runs, the most against any opponent.

LEDGER TWO: April 30 vs New York Mets

This two-run shot that broke a 1-1 tie was hit off Hall of Famer Warren Spahn, who was in his final year in the league1.

LEDGER THREE: May 22 vs Philadelphia Phillies

Pérez had a 3-hit day which included this first inning 3-run blast off Bo Belinksy.

LEDGER FOUR: May 25 at Houston Astros

Like the Braves, Pérez had 40 career home runs against the Astros too. Pérez came into the game as a pinch hitter in the seventh then this homer untied the game in the top of the ninth, leading the Reds to victory.

LEDGER FIVE: July 22 at San Francisco Giants

This was the seventh home run of Pérez’s career and was the first solo home run he ever hit. Gaylord Perry served it up with he Giants up one in the top of the eighth.

Pérez would play in fifty more games in 1965, but only hit five more home runs, none of them being ledgers (two apiece against the Astros and Braves and one against the Mets).

1966 – Cincinnati Reds

LEDGER SIX: May 6 vs Los Angeles Dodgers

Pérez would hit his first home run of 1966 off another future Hall of Famer – Don Sutton. This was a two-run bomb that extended an early Reds’ lead.

LEDGER SEVEN: July 26 vs Chicago Cubs

This was another early-game home run, this time tying the game at two in the bottom of the first.

In his third season, Pérez certainly did not mash the baseball. He only registered four home runs in 99 games on the season. His 1967 season would start to turn his power numbers around.

1967 – Cincinnati Reds

The timelines of our Hunt for Led October players now start to intersect. In 1967, Lee May began playing a large share of games at first base for the Reds. This pushed Pérez to third base and this would be the Reds’ usual defensive alignment until May was traded at the end of 19712. From 1972 onward, Pérez would be the Reds’ everyday first baseman.

LEDGER EIGHT: May 25 at Pittsburgh Pirates

Pérez hit eight home runs Between May 10 and June 16, 1976. All of them were two-run home runs and all of them drove in Pete Rose (he was at first base seven of he times, and at third base the eighth). This particular homer tied the game at two in the top of the seventh.

LEDGER NINE: July 6 at St. Louis Cardinals

Pérez only hit 17 home runs against the Cardinals in his career which was the lowest total of any National League team except the Expos who wouldn’t start play until 1969. The Padres, who were also a 1969 expansion team, offered up 25 Perez dingers.

This home run was another two-run shot that brought in Pete Rose and was hit off Dick Hughes3.

1969 – Cincinnati Reds

LEDGER TEN: May 4 (Game 2) vs San Diego Padres

This three-run shot was part of the Reds’ 12-0 shellacking of the Padres.

LEDGER ELEVEN: May 10 at Montreal Expos

Less than a week later, Pérez collected his ledger against Bill Stoneman and the Expos in a losing effort for the Reds.

Pérez was now maxed out against the National League, a position he would remain in for another seven seasons.

1975 – Cincinnati Reds

LEDGER TWELVE: October 16 vs Boston Red Sox

The Big Red Machine found themselves taking on the Red Sox in their third World Series of the decade in 1975. Pérez had yet to hit a home run in the Fall Classic, but finally broke through in the bottom of the fourth in game five. Pérez would end up hitting two home runs in this game, both off Reggie Cleveland, and added another hugely important home run in game seven to start a Reds’ comeback.

Pérez would spend one more season in Cincinnati before being traded to the Montreal Expos.

1977 – Montreal Expos

LEDGER THIRTEEN: August 29 vs Cincinnati Reds

Pérez would spend three seasons in Montreal and over that time he hit five home runs against his former team. His ledger was a two-run blast that scored the 1977 Rookie of the Year, Andre Dawson.

After the 1979 season, Pérez signed a free agent deal with the Boston Red Sox, the only American League team he had homered against in a World Series.

1980 – Boston Red Sox

Pérez arrived in Boston in his age 38 season. His first season was good enough to garner some MVP votes with a 25 home run, 105 RBI, .275 average performance.

LEDGER FOURTEEN: April 16 vs Detroit Tigers

Pérez’s first Boston home run came in the fifth game of the season and was part of a four hit day. He hit the ledger off Dan Schatzeder, who had previously been with Montreal during the same three years as Perez.

As was becoming tradition in his ledgers, this was a two-run knock that scored future Hall of Famer Jim Rice.

LEDGER FIFTEEN: April 29 at Chicago White Sox

This was also a two-run knock that scored future Hall of Famer Jim Rice.

LEDGER SIXTEEN: May 15 at Cleveland Indians

And you guessed it, this too was a two-run homer that scored future Hall of Famer Jim Rice. This would also end up being the only home run Pérez would hit against Cleveland in his career.

LEDGER SEVENTEEN: May 21 at Toronto Blue Jays

This ledger would be part of a two home run day for Pérez and gave Boston an early three run lead. He would have the fewest plate appearances against the Blue Jays in his career but managed one more home run against them.

LEDGER EIGHTEEN: May 31 vs Milwaukee Brewers

This homer was a run of the mill solo shot in the fourth inning that closed the Brewers’ led to five runs.

LEDGER NINETEEN: June 6 at Oakland Athletics

Pérez gave a rookie pitcher a rude, belated welcome to the major leagues. This was the first home run given up by Ernie Camacho in four career games and was a grand slam that extended the Red Sox lead to 12-0.

LEDGER TWENTY: June 9 at Seattle Mariners

The Red Sox continued their road trip up the West Coast, and Pérez collected his ledger against the Mariners with a two-run blast in the first inning that scored good Red Sock, but not future Hall of Famer, Fred Lynn.

LEDGER TWENTY-ONE: June 22 vs California Angels

Then some of the West Coast came to Boston. This would be the only home run Pérez would hit against the Angels and it was a, and here we go again, two-run blast that scored good Red Sock, but not future Hall of Famer, Fred Lynn.

LEDGER TWENTY-TWO: July 4 at Baltimore Orioles

Pérez would hit more American League home runs against Baltimore (7) than any other team. He hit his first off Steve Stone on Independence Day and another one two days later. Then he concluded 1980 by hitting his last four home runs of the season off an Oriole. And then he kicked off 1981 with his seventh against them.

LEDGER TWENTY-THREE: July 23 vs Texas Rangers

This ledger tied the game at four in the bottom of the seventh inning.

LEDGER TWENTY-FOUR: July 25 (Game 1) at Minnesota Twins

This ledger increased the lead in the top of the fifth.

Pérez would hit nine more home runs in 1980, but that would be all for the season’s ledgers. He was still two teams short going into 1981 but he would also not have a double-digit home run total in any remaining season.

1981 – Boston Red Sox

LEDGER TWENTY-FIVE: May 16 vs Kansas City Royals

This was the only home run Pérez hit against the Royals in his career and it came off Larry Gura in the bottom of the fourth inning.

LEDGER TWENTY-SIX: September 13 at New York Yankees

Pérez joined the v26 Club with his first home run against the Yankees. This one was hit off Ron Guidry and he would hit three more before he left Boston at the end of the season. Tommy John allowed all three of those home runs.

There would be no more ledger opportunities for Tony Pérez for the remainder of his career. He would play for the Phillies in 1982 and stuck around Cincinnati for three more seasons to conclude his career. These final seasons are a point of contention for small-Hall (of Fame) advocates as they cite Pérez as a classic compiler. In any case, Tony Pérez had a career worthy of induction both in Cooperstown and in the v-Club.

3

Dick Hughes had a fascinating career. We won’t take a deep dive, but this table detailing his entire career should suffice.