Rising up because the son of a Corridor of Famer, I used to be raised with a deep respect for the sport of baseball — not simply the numbers on the again of the cardboard, however the soul behind the uniform. My father, Corridor of Famer Tony Pérez, confirmed me that greatness isn’t just measured in stats. It’s discovered within the character, coronary heart and the unrelenting love for the sport in any participant. I used to be fortunate — not solely did I be taught that lesson early, I lived it alongside three males now being inducted into the Baseball Corridor of Fame: Billy Wagner, CC Sabathia and Ichiro Suzuki.
In 1996, lengthy earlier than the lights of Cooperstown have been even a thought for Billy Wagner, we performed collectively in winter ball for the Cangrejeros de Santurce in my native Puerto Rico. That league isn’t just a proving floor — it was and nonetheless is a crucible. Billy confirmed up as a younger fireballer — on the time, a starter with a left arm that snapped like a whip and a coronary heart filled with quiet depth. What struck me was not simply his velocity. It was his humility. He didn’t come to dominate. He got here to be taught, to develop, to honor the sport. And he did all of it with a piece ethic that made him really feel extra like a local than a customer.
A decade later, in 2006, I joined CC Sabathia in Cleveland. At that time, he was already a power. Towering presence, electrical stuff, and the sort of management you possibly can’t train. However what stood out most to me was how deeply he cared: concerning the clubhouse, concerning the guys grinding beside him, and concerning the accountability of carrying a franchise. CC pitched like he was defending one thing sacred. He jogged my memory of my father in that approach. He knew it wasn’t nearly the way you play the sport, however the way you carry your self within the areas in between.
That was embodied in one thing private, one thing small however unforgettable. Each recreation that I used to be not within the beginning lineup and he was not pitching — which, let’s face it, was typically — I might soar on the stationary bike within the fifth inning. With out fail, CC would be part of me. That turned our time. Generally for 10 minutes; if the inning went lengthy, typically for half-hour (which we have been by no means glad about). Simply two teammates, aspect by aspect, pedaling by the center innings, speaking life and baseball. That was CC. Current, supportive and all the time a teammate first.
That very same 12 months, I used to be traded to Seattle and located myself sharing a dugout with Ichiro Suzuki. If Billy introduced warmth and CC introduced coronary heart, Ichiro introduced concord. An ideal mix of precision, preparation and delight. Each transfer he made was intentional. Each at-bat felt like efficiency artwork. However Ichiro was not aloof. He was engaged, considerate and deeply respectful of the sport’s historical past. His self-discipline was on one other degree. He stretched lengthy earlier than most guys have been even dressed. He intently studied the craft of proper discipline. And behind the scenes, he lived by the clock; the whole lot he did was to minute. The work by no means stopped.
There was one second I’ll always remember. We have been taking part in the Tampa Bay Rays, and I had been struggling on the plate. I figured I wanted a bit of luck and a change. Ichiro by no means stored his bats within the rack. He all the time sat in the identical actual spot within the dugout, and his bats have been all the time lined up neatly proper subsequent to him. So, midgame, I made a daring transfer. I quietly took one in every of Ichiro’s bats from beside his seat and walked to the on-deck circle. As I stepped into the batter’s field, I may really feel it. Ichiro, your complete staff, everybody realized what I had carried out. I used to be utilizing his bat. I ended up getting successful up the center, and after I got here again to the dugout, Ichiro retrieved the bat. Throughout the recreation, he wrote one thing on the knob and reluctantly gave it again to me. To be clear, he was not glad — that was the sort of competitor he was. His bats weren’t simply instruments, they have been extensions of his craft. However even in that quiet frustration, there was a layer of respect. That was Ichiro — wrapped in a bat that, fortunately, labored for one swing that day.
These three males, Billy, CC and Ichiro, are actually perpetually etched in baseball immortality. However the purpose I’m proudest to have performed beside them has nothing to do with Cooperstown. It’s as a result of they confirmed up with authenticity. They gave the sport the whole lot they’d. They revered the journey and the individuals round them. They performed not for glory, however as a result of they cherished it.
And for me, somebody who grew up within the clubhouse of the Large Crimson Machine and whose father taught him to honor this recreation with each swing and each breath, that’s the highest tribute there’s.
To Billy, CC and Ichiro, thanks for letting me share a small piece of your outstanding journey. Baseball is healthier due to you. And I’m higher for having performed beside you.
