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 is not only 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 had 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 is not only 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 stuffed 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 pressure. Towering presence, electrical stuff, and the type of management you may’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 duty 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 sport that I used to be not within the beginning lineup and he was not pitching — which, let’s face it, was typically — I’d leap on the stationary bike within the fifth inning. With out fail, CC would be a part of me. That grew to become our time. Generally for 10 minutes; if the inning went lengthy, typically for half-hour (which we had been by no means completely happy about). Simply two teammates, facet by facet, pedaling by way of the center innings, speaking life and baseball. That was CC. Current, supportive and at all times 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 stage. He stretched lengthy earlier than most guys had been even dressed. He carefully studied the craft of proper subject. And behind the scenes, he lived by the clock; every thing he did was to minute. The work by no means stopped.
There was one second I’ll always remember. We had been enjoying the Tampa Bay Rays, and I had been struggling on the plate. I figured I wanted slightly luck and a change. Ichiro by no means stored his bats within the rack. He at all times sat in the identical precise spot within the dugout, and his bats had been at all times lined up neatly proper subsequent to him. So, midgame, I made a daring transfer. I quietly took certainly one 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 crew, everybody realized what I had completed. I used to be utilizing his bat. I ended up getting a success up the center, and after I got here again to the dugout, Ichiro retrieved the bat. Through the sport, he wrote one thing on the knob and reluctantly gave it again to me. To be clear, he was not completely happy — that was the type of competitor he was. His bats weren’t simply instruments, they had 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, at the moment are eternally 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 every thing that they had. They revered the journey and the individuals round them. They performed not for glory, however as a result of they beloved it.
And for me, somebody who grew up within the clubhouse of the Huge Pink Machine and whose father taught him to honor this sport with each swing and each breath, that’s the highest tribute there may be.
To Billy, CC and Ichiro, thanks for letting me share a small piece of your exceptional journey. Baseball is healthier due to you. And I’m higher for having performed beside you.