Sergio Perez really loves the University of Tampa. Why else would Perez, who was drafted as the 67th overall pick in the Major League Baseball draft last year, come back to UT this fall to work on getting his degree?
Perez left UT after his junior year to pursue his dream of playing in the MLB. After many long discussions with his family, he decided to come back to UT and continue his education during the minor league off season.
“My mom wanted me to come back to get my degree in case things didn’t work out in baseball,” Perez said. “I thought it was a good idea, and I really enjoy the college life. Coming to school here has been the best three years of my life, so I decided to come back for more.”
Perez, a sports management major, doesn’t expect to graduate this year but hopes to obtain his degree in the fall of 2007. He will only be in school during the fall semester. He will return to the Lexington Legends, a Houston Astros minor league team, in the spring. The Astros organization is paying for the rest of his education.
It was obvious how much Perez enjoyed his time at UT, but the timing was perfect for him to enter the draft after his junior season. He had just led UT to a national championship, and his draft stock was high. There was not much else Perez could prove at the college level, and his arm would be fresher if he left after his junior year.
Leaving early would also benefit Perez in terms of a signing bonus. “Financially, it would be better if I entered the draft as a junior,” Perez said. It certainly proved to be financially beneficial for Perez. He received a $550,000 signing bonus when he agreed to play for the Astros.
Another factor in Perez’s decision was the possibility of injury. If he would have gotten hurt in his senior season with UT, his possibility of getting drafted would have diminished greatly. It looks like he made the right decision in leaving early. Perez says he is living out his dream, getting to play baseball for half the year, and going to UT for the other half.
Perez was a late bloomer. Although he has played baseball since he was 10, he didn’t really excel until he reached high school. “I had always loved baseball, but I didn’t realize I had the talent to play professionally until I was in high school,” Perez said. “When I started talking to the all the scouts in high school, I knew I had a good shot. They thought I had a chance to be pretty good.”
Playing in the minor leagues is far from glamorous. Whether it be the long bus trips or the cheap hotels, playing in the minors is difficult. Perez had to adapt to the new experiences of a minor league rookie when he played in Lexington last summer.
“It’s a lot different then college baseball or any other baseball, for that matter,” Perez said. “You have to get used to a lot of different personalities and playing with older players. You don’t play in the nicest places, but it is great getting paid to play the game I love.”
Besides getting acquainted to the minor league life, Perez has had to get used to the speed of the game. “The game is a lot faster, and there is better competition. It feels like a completely different game,” Perez said.
Perez excelled as a starting pitcher at UT but came out of the bullpen for the Legends in his first season in the minors. Although he was a reliever, Perez is confident that he will see some time as a starting pitcher next season. “I just want to play,” Perez said. “Next season I expect to be an everyday starting pitcher, though. My coaches said I would probably start.”
Whether it is in a starting role or a relieving role, expect Perez to continue to move up the minor league ladder quickly. In 16.1 innings with the Legends last season, he recorded three wins, no losses and a 2.20 earned run average. Perez also had a solid strike-out-to-walk ratio, striking out 21 batters, while walking just eight.
Paul Ricciarini, the Astros senior director of player personnel and scouting, has high expectations for Perez.
“He’ll battle through the rough spots and absolutely find a way to win,” Ricciarini said. “His makeup’s off the charts. His stuff is above average, across the board. He’s got a good, hard sinking fastball. It’s up to 96, 97 miles an hour at times when his mechanics are right. I think he has a chance to get through the system quick. He’s extremely mature.”
There have been many great players that have played at UT. Rarely have they made an impact in the professional ranks. Tino Martinez and Lou Pinella are the most well-known Spartans, but other than that, only a few UT players have been able to play professionally in any sport. If Perez continues to play well, look for this former Spartan to accomplish big things in the major leagues.