Chris Perez's Father Proudly Wears Chris' All-Star Ring

BRADENTON -- Tim Perez has worn the ring nearly every waking moment since the Major League Baseball All-Star Game on July 12 in Phoenix.

It’s a reminder of how his son made a dream come true for several generations of his family.

That son is Chris Perez, the highly touted closer for the Cleveland Indians. He was selected for his first All-Star Game this year and wanted to share the moment with the person he believes made it possible.

The 26-year-old Perez followed his dad and uncles, who were athletes at Southeast High. Tim was the quarterback for the Seminoles in their inaugural game against Manatee High and baseball for Manatee Junior College but then gave up sports for the world of work. None of his family members made it as far as Chris, but they have jumped on what seems like a magic carpet ride.

On the night the All-Star Game ended, Chris gave his All-Star ring to his dad, shocking Tim and bringing tears to his eyes.

“I couldn’t do anything else but give him the ring,” Chris said. “He taught me the game. If it wasn’t for him and all the sacrifices he made for me, I would not be where I am today. The ring is like a thank-you for everything he did for me.”

When Tim was summoned to his son’s hotel room after the game, he had no idea he would receive the gift of his life. Now, he can’t take it off -- and it’s generating questions from nearly everyone he meets.

“I wasn’t expecting it. We were in the room, and Chris just said ‘I want to give you something,’” his dad recalled. “My first reaction was, ‘Son this is your ring. And he says ‘No, dad, I wouldn’t here without you.’ I wasn’t expecting anything. I was just a dad supporting his son.”

Chris played three years for Manatee High, spent his senior season at the IMG Academies Pendleton School and finished his collegiate career at the University of Miami. He was the 42nd overall pick in the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft and came up to the big leagues two years later.

It’s become more than just a ring for Tim Perez. It symbolizes more than a generation of family members who loved the game of baseball, but couldn’t reach the plateau that Chris has attained.

“I’ve been wearing the ring every day since I got it. I always wanted to play major league baseball, but I couldn’t make it. Chris made it for the both of us,” Tim said. “I am living that through him. I am proud of it and proud of my son. So many people notice it but don’t know me. They ask about it, and I tell them about Chris.”

To Chris, dad is the special person.

Tim started teaching his son the game of baseball when he was 4 years old until his senior year of high school, when he realized he had taken him as far as he could.

“I never envisioned my son playing in the major leagues,” Tim said. “My focus was one day he would get to college and play for Manatee Community College. I never thought it would be for Miami. He did it. In his mind, he knew he could play Major League Baseball.”

The best part for Tim is that the stardom has not changed his son.

“Even at the All-Star Game, he is still the same person to me. He is my kid and has not changed,” Tim said. “He gets paid well, but it’s not like he shows it. He takes care of his family and has a nice home. He is normal kid, who happens to have a gift.”

Tim saw a passion burning in his son that was something special. He could also throw a baseball more than 90 miles per hour, which made the move from catcher to pitcher seem natural.

“Chris would go to every Pirates game at McKechnie Field. Even on school days when he couldn’t get there until the fourth or fifth inning, he would go,” Tim said. “He said, ‘Dad I am going to do this someday.’ In his mind, it would always happen.”

But Chris insists it would not have happened without his father.

“He never forced me to do it. He provided the opportunity to go to IMG, and I am sure that is not cheap. He paid for everything, all my equipment and summer ball and never told me no,” Chris said. “He said play every game hard, you never know who is in the stands and respect the game. I learned my work ethic from him.”

The big moment in Chris’ career came when he switched to becoming a full-time pitcher after catching all his life through his junior year of high school.

“He sat me down and laid it all out and said if you pitch, you might be able to make it to the big leagues,” Chris said. “I loved catching and hitting but felt at the end of the day I wanted to keep playing, and if pitching is the way, I will do it.”

The rest is history. Chris has become one of the top closers in the game and is enjoying every moment. He has shown he has the right demeanor to fit his role.

“To be in my first All-Star Game felt like my major-league debut. I was like a kid again. It was tremendous and something I will always remember,” Chris said. “I remember sitting in the living room watching the game when I was a kid. You never think you would be there because the odds are so stacked against you. It’s pretty cool.”

Now Chris is helping to keep Cleveland in the thick of the American League Central Division race. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound right-hander has 22 of the team’s 24 saves, which ranks him fifth in the league.

“To be a good closer, you need to have a short memory and a lot of self-confidence. When you get the ball, you’ve got to have that killer instinct. In the end, you have to trust yourself, and you’ve got to be healthy,” he said.


(bradenton.com)