How Martin Perez's upbringing shaped his leadership style with the White Sox
DETROIT — It was the first day of White Sox spring training and Jonathan Cannon was struggling with his changeup. The right-hander, who threw 339 changeups last year, couldn’t find the right feel for it and was spraying it. He didn’t understand the disconnect.
The young right-hander grew increasingly frustrated as the pitch continued to sail on him. Sensing Cannon’s frustrations, veteran starter Martin Perez strolled out to the cool and composed mound to give him some advice.
“I'm throwing my changeup at, like, 90 feet, just fighting it,” Cannon told the Sun-Times. “It's not moving, like I'm floating. I'm like, ‘Man, what is going on?’ And he just comes out and tinkers with the grip a little bit, and by the end, it was moving.
“To have that kind of calming presence and just someone that has done it for a long time, that's very beneficial to all of us.”
In addition to his value on the field, Perez is also a mentor and leader in the locker room. Perez is a reserved, soft-spoken individual — not really the characteristics one would associate with a leader. But through his track record of success and setbacks, he’s become a valuable resource for young pitchers like Cannon, Sean Burke and Davis Martin.
This season is about improvement for the Sox, and if Perez can resemble close to the pitcher he was in 10 games with the Padres last season — 3.46 ERA over 10 starts — it’s likely he’ll be a popular trade target for an organization in the sport’s never-ending search for pitching.
But while he’s here, Perez wants to impart wisdom to the Sox’ youngsters. When Perez broke into the majors, he referred to Netali Feliz, Matt Harrison, and Derek Holland as the players who took him under their wing. But it's because of his parents growing up in Venezuela that he wants to leave a lasting impression on Sox youngsters.
"I’m a good teammate because that’s who I am," Perez told the Sun-Times. "That’s what my mom and dad taught me at home."
His father, Martin, and his mother, Leida, were a taxi driver and school cleaning lady, respectively. Every weekend, his parents would take him 4-5 hours away from their hometown of Guanare for practices and games. They didn’t have a lot, but they always found a way. Their selflessness and care stood out to a young Perez, as did the generosity of those in his neighborhood.
“A couple of times we had no money, we had to talk to the neighborhood like, ‘Hey, we need some money; can you give me some, and then I can pay you on my next paycheck?’ Perez said.
“That’s one of the things that I always keep in mind because it was not easy for me and not easy for them to give me the education and to give me all the equipment and support when I was just a kid.”
But it wasn’t just the monetary donation that caught Perez’s attention. It was the kindness and sincerity his parents showed once he made enough to support himself; Perez said he left home at 14. His parents constantly called to check on him and see how he was doing.
They were also there to reprimand him if he strayed too far from the man they raised him to be.
“When I did something wrong or said something I didn't have to say in front of them, they told me right away, ‘We don’t care who you are, we don’t care how much money you make, but you have to show respect,’” he said. “Those are things I’ll always have in mind because you can’t forget where you come from.”
‘I just want them to listen’
Perez has a subtle touch when doling out advice, mainly because that’s how it worked for him with the Rangers. He heard everyone out but only retained what he felt worked best for him.
After Burke had an inefficient outing against the Twins, Perez approached the young right-hander after Burke gave up a pair of homers off his slider in the Sox’ 6-1 loss to the Twins.
“He told me after my last game, ‘I got something for you,’” Burke told the Sun-Times. “Knowing he's paying attention to my games and wanting me to be better means a lot to me.”
What also stands out to Perez’s teammates is his pitching craft. Perez doesn’t succeed with overpowering velocity. Craft and guile are hallmarks of his arsenal.
“It's surgeon-like, he pitches to his spots and makes it look so easy,” Cannon said. “It's not overpowering at all, but it feels overpowering when he's throwing it exactly where he wants to."
Perez dazzled in the Sox' 4-3 loss to the Tigers on Sunday, throwing 6 1/3 innings, allowing one run on on four hits with six strikeouts.
Although Perez won't be with the Sox in their next contention window, he hopes that his wisdom can help mold the young starters on the team now and that they, in turn, pay it forward.
“It doesn’t matter how old you are, you can learn from any person,” Perez said. “I got a lot of experiences, a lot of people have taught me many things in this sport. I just want them to listen and make sure they can take advantage of that.”