Odalis Pérez

Odalis Pérez
Pérez with the Nationals in 2008
Pitcher
Born: June 11, 1977 (1977-06-11) (age 34)
Batted: Left	Threw: Left
MLB debut
September 1, 1998 for the Atlanta Braves
Last MLB appearance
September 28, 2008 for the Washington Nationals
Career statistics
Win–Loss record	73–82
Earned run average	4.46
Strikeouts	920
Teams
Atlanta Braves (1998–2001) Los Angeles Dodgers (2002–2006) Kansas City Royals (2006–2007) Washington Nationals (2008)

Odalis Amadol Pérez (born June 11, 1977 in Las Matas de Farfán, Dominican Republic) is a former Major League Baseball starting pitcher. He played with the Atlanta Braves (1998-2001), the Los Angeles Dodgers (2002-2006), the Kansas City Royals (2006-2007), and the Washington Nationals (2008).

Personal

Pérez is a 1995 graduate of Damian David Ortiz High School in his homeland. He is currently single and has a son, Odalis, Jr. Pérez has participated in community baseball clinics for the Dodgers and the Manny Mota International Foundation and has also visited schools in Los Angeles area as part of the Dodger Jams program.

Professional career

Atlanta Braves

Pérez joined the Braves in September 1998, going 0-1. However, he won a game for the Braves in the 1998 postseason, becoming the first pitcher in MLB history to earn a playoff win without ever having won a regular season game.

On May 2, 1999, Pérez got his first regular-season victory pitching 5.2 innings and allowing two earned runs with seven strikeouts, as Atlanta rolled to a 5-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

On January 15, 2002, he was traded by the Braves with Andrew Brown (minors) and Brian Jordan to the Dodgers for Gary Sheffield.

Los Angeles Dodgers

In a two-year period from 2002-2003, he won 27 games (15 in 2002, 12 in 2003), which was tied for the third most wins by a left-handed pitcher in the National League, joining Tom Glavine behind Randy Johnson and Al Leiter, and 10th most in the majors. Beside this, he was the first Dodger left-hander to register at least 12 wins in consecutive seasons since Fernando Valenzuela accomplished the feat between 1986 (21) and 1987 (14). During the same period, Pérez also had the sixth-most strikeouts mark (296) among all majors lefties, ranking fourth in the National League behind Johnson, Randy Wolf and Leiter.

Also in those two seasons, Pérez allowed two earned runs or less in 33 of his 62 starts, being selected to the All-Star game in 2002 — a season in which he pitched a pair of one-hitter games.

A career highlight for Pérez occurred on August 28, 2002, as he defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium with a score of 1-0, during which he pitched 8.0 scoreless innings AND slugged his first career home run for the only run of the game. With this victory, he became the first Major League pitcher to win a 1-0 game and hit the game-winning homer since the Dodgers’ Bob Welch accomplished the feat on June 17, 1983. This game also marked the beginning of closer Éric Gagné’s record-breaking streak, the first game of 84 consecutive saves.

Kansas City Royals

On July 25, 2006, Perez and two minor league pitchers (Blake Johnson and Julio Pimentel) were traded to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for Elmer Dessens. Cash considerations were also sent to the Royals in the deal.

On October 31, 2007, the Royals declined Perez's $9 million option and paid him a $1.5 million buyout.^[1]

Washington Nationals

On February 19, 2008, Pérez signed a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals and was invited to spring training. Pérez had his contract purchased by the Nationals on March 20, 2008.

Perez got the Opening Day start for Washington on March 30, 2008. He gave up the first home run in the history of Nationals Park, to Chipper Jones in the top of the 4th. He gave up one run and surrendered 4 hits over 5 innings and ended up with a no-decision. Ryan Zimmerman hit a walk-off home run later that game to win the first game in the history of Nationals Park, 3-2. He also struck out the first batter and delivered the first pitch in the history of Nationals Park.

Pérez agreeed to a minor league contract with the Nationals prior to the 2009 season. However, he had second thoughts and did not report to spring training, instead wanting a major league deal. He was subsequently released.^[2]

References

1. ^ ESPN - Royals decline Perez's $9 million option; Riske files for free agency - MLB
2. ^ Nationals release no-show Perez

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube

Preceded by John Patterson

Washington Nationals Opening Day Starting Pitcher 2008

Succeeded by John Lannan

Persondata
Name	Perez, Odalis
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	June 11, 1977
Place of birth	Las Matas de Farfán, Dominican Republic
Date of death
Place of death