Juan Pablo Pérez (born September 3, 1978) is a Dominican former

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professional ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

. 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 Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies, Milwaukee Brewers, and

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

Professional career

Minor leagues

Pérez was signed by the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eigh ...

as an undrafted free agent in 1998. He was named Boston's "Minor League Pitcher of the Year" in 1999 while with the Red Sox

Dominican Summer League The Dominican Summer League (DSL) is a branch of affiliated Minor League Baseball which is played in the Dominican Republic. The league was founded in 1985. After the demise of the Venezuelan Summer League after the 2015 season, it is the only ...

team. He was selected to the All-Star Futures Game in 2004, while pitching for the

Portland Sea Dogs The Portland Sea Dogs are a Minor League Baseball team based in Portland, Maine, playing in the Eastern League. Established in 1994, the Sea Dogs are the Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. The Sea Dogs became part of the Red Sox syst ...

. The

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

purchased his contract from the

Pawtucket Red Sox The Pawtucket Red Sox, known colloquially as the PawSox, were a professional minor league baseball club based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. From 1973 to 2020, the team was a member of the International League and served as the Triple-A affiliate ...

in November , and optioned him to the

Norfolk Tides The Norfolk Tides are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. They are located in Norfolk, Virginia, and are named in nautical reference to the city's location on the Chesapea ...

in March .

Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates selected him off waivers in August 2006 and he made his Major League debut on September 7, 2006 for the Pirates against the Chicago Cubs. He appeared in seven games for the Pirates in 2006 and 17 games in 2007. He was 0–1 with an 8.10 ERA in his two seasons with the Pirates. Pérez became a free agent at the end of the 2008 season and signed a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training with 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 ...

in January . He spent the season with the Triple-A

Gwinnett Braves The Gwinnett Stripers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at Coolray Field in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia (with a Lawrencevil ...

, appearing in 47 games. He signed a minor league contract with the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

in December . He was assigned to the Triple-A

Albuquerque Isotopes The Albuquerque Isotopes are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They play home games at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at an e ...

to start the season. He appeared in 45 games for the Isotopes, with a 4–3 record and 2.96 ERA.

Philadelphia Phillies

Pérez signed a minor-league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies before the 2011 season. He had his contract purchased on June 23. Pérez pitched an

immaculate inning In baseball, a strikeout occurs when a pitcher throws three strikes to a batter during his time at bat. An immaculate inning occurs when a pitcher strikes out all three batters he faces in one inning, using the minimum possible number of pitche ...

in the 10th inning in a win against the Braves on July 8, 2011, striking out the side on nine total pitches, making him the second major-league pitcher to accomplish the feat in

extra inning Extra innings is the extension of a baseball or softball game in order to break a tie. Ordinarily, a baseball game consists of nine regulation innings (in softball and high school baseball games there are typically seven innings; in Little Lea ...

s, the first having been thrown by

Sloppy Thurston Hollis John "Sloppy" Thurston (June 2, 1899 – September 14, 1973) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Browns, Chicago White Sox, Washington Senators, and Brooklyn Robins/D ...

in 1923. Pérez received his first career win after

Raúl Ibañez Raúl Javier Ibañez (; born June 2, 1972) is a Cuban-American former professional baseball left fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) now serving as Senior Vice President of On-Field Operations for MLB. He played 11 of his 19 big league seaso ...

hit a

walk-off home run In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. For a home run to end the game, it must be hit in the bottom of the final inning of the game and generate enough runs to exceed the opponent's score. Because the opponent will no ...

in the bottom of the inning. Pérez was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must within seven days, return the pla ...

by the Phillies on September 16, 2011.

Milwaukee Brewers

On December 21, 2011, Pérez signed a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers. He also received an invitation to spring training. He was called up to Milwaukee on May 19, 2012, to replace

Vinnie Chulk Charles Vincent "Vinnie" Chulk (born December 19, 1978) is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He is of Cuban heritage. Early life Chulk played baseball at the Perrine Khoury League throughout much of his childhood, and graduated in 19 ...

who was designated for assignment.

Toronto Blue Jays

On December 11, 2012, the

announced that Pérez had been signed to a minor league contract with an invitation to major league spring training. He pitched for the Triple-A

Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen ...

until he was called up by the Blue Jays on May 29. Pérez set a Blue Jays franchise record in a game against the

on July 23 by pitching his 22nd consecutive scoreless inning to begin his career in Toronto. The previous record had been held for nearly 35 years by Víctor Cruz, who pitched 21 consecutive scoreless innings from June 24 to July 31, 1978. Pérez's streak ended at 22 in the following game, when he gave up a 2-run home run to Mark Ellis and a solo home run to Yasiel Puig. Pérez came out of a game against the Oakland Athletics on August 10 with an apparent arm injury. He was moved to the 60-day disabled list on August 10 with a partially torn

ulnar collateral ligament Ulnar collateral ligament (or UCL), may refer to: * Ulnar carpal collateral ligament * Ulnar collateral ligament of elbow joint The ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) or internal lateral ligament is a thick triangular ligament at the medial aspec ...

in his throwing arm. Perez opted to rehab the injury, rather than undergo Tommy John surgery. Pérez was outrighted off the 40-man roster on November 5, 2013. He signed a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. He was reassigned to minor-league camp on March 2, 2014, without making an appearance. Pérez was released on March 23, 2014.

Texas Rangers

After spending the 2014 season as a free agent, Pérez signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers in January 2015. They released him on May 8 after he posted a 10.80 ERA in nine relief appearances for their Triple-A club, the

Round Rock Express The Round Rock Express are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. They are located in Round Rock, Texas, and play their home games at the Dell Diamond. The team is named ...

Guerreros de Oaxaca

He signed with the

Guerreros de Oaxaca The Guerreros de Oaxaca (English: Oaxaca Warriors) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Oaxaca City, Oaxaca, Mexico. Their home field is Estadio Eduardo Vasconcelos. History In October 1995, a group of businessmen, ...

of the

Mexican Baseball League The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country. The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five t ...

for the 2016 season. He was released on April 19, 2016.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Perez, Juan 1978 births Living people Águilas Cibaeñas players Albuquerque Isotopes players Arizona League Dodgers players Augusta GreenJackets players Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in Canada Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in the United States Dominican Summer League Red Sox players Estrellas Orientales players Gigantes del Cibao players Guerreros de Oaxaca players Gulf Coast Pirates players Gulf Coast Red Sox players Gwinnett Braves players Indianapolis Indians players Lehigh Valley IronPigs players Major League Baseball pitchers Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic Milwaukee Brewers players Nashville Sounds players Norfolk Tides players Pawtucket Red Sox players Philadelphia Phillies players Pittsburgh Pirates players Portland Sea Dogs players Rojos del Águila de Veracruz players Round Rock Express players Sarasota Red Sox players Toronto Blue Jays players Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in Mexico