Christopher Ralph Perez…...resides in Tampa, FL, with his wife, Melanie and son, Maxwell… graduated from Pendleton (FL) High School in 2003...attended the University of Miami (FL) from 2004 to 2006...spent the summer of 2005 playing for the U.S. National team…at the University of Miami, was a Second Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference and a semi-finalist for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award…majored in criminology at Miami...participated in the Cardinals Caravan and Winter Warm-Up in 2008-09 offseason…participated in the 2009 Cleveland Indians Charities Celebrity Golf Classic...involved in the Tribe Reporter for a Day program and the High Achievers program...selected in the supplemental first round (42nd overall) of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft.
2013
Ranked 11th in the American League with 25 saves…went 25-for-30 in save conversions (83%)... Pitched well at Progressive Field, posting a 4-2 record with 13 saves and a 3.98 ERA (14 ER/31.2 IP)... Started the season strong, tossing scoreless relief in seven of his eight April appearances, while striking out nine against two walks (8.0 IP)…before the All-Star break, posted a 3.04 ERA (9 ER/26.2 IP) in 27 appearances... Held right-handed hitters to a .229 batting average during the season... Tossed a career-high tying 2.0 innings on July 26 vs. Texas... Tossed scoreless relief in 41 of his 54 relief appearances... Opposing batters went 17-for-75 (.227) with runners on base and 9-for-51 (.176) with runners in scoring position... Landed on the 15-day disabled list on May 27 after suffering right shoulder strain... Did not pitch in Spring Training from Feb 27-March 25 due to right shoulder strain that kept him from pitching in the WBC for Team USA
2012
The 2011-12 AL All-Star had another solid season on the mound as Indians
closer, finishing 4th among American League pitchers with 39 saves in 43
chances (91% conversion rate, 6th-best in the AL)...Now ranks 4th in club
history with 99 career saves as an Indian, trailing Jose Mesa's 104 for 3rd
place... First Indians pitcher since Mesa (1995-96) to post consecutive
seasons of at least 30 saves. Started (Opening Day, April 5 vs. Toronto, 3 ER, 0.2 IP) and concluded
the first half (July 8 vs Tampa Bay, 3ER, 1.0IP) with blown saves and in
between recorded 24 straight save conversions and posted a 1.76 ERA (6
ER/30.2 IP, .189avg, 22-115, 5BB, 28K), holding opp's scoreless in 26 of
32 outings from April 6-July 7...Converted a career-high 24 straight save
chances from April 8-July 5, in that span, 2nd-longest streak in club history
within a single-season (Jose Mesa 38 in 1995).
Recorded his 100th career save on August 13 at the LA Angels...Suffered
two straight blown saves on August 5 at Detroit & August 7 vs. Minnesota
(1.1IP, 7H, 8R/6ER) during club's 11-game losing streak that took ERA from
2.75-3.98 and contributed to the Tribe's brutal 5-24 month...From August
9 thru the end of the season he recorded an ERA of 2.65 (17.0IP, 10H,
5ER, 5BB, 13SO) and saved all 10 of his final save chances on the year...
Has saved 41 of last 45 one-run (91.1%) & 85 last 93 (91.4%) overall save
chances dating back to 8/12/2010...Slowed by a strained left oblique early
on in spring training (spring debut 3/29).
Statistically he was much better in 2012 than the previous season, lowering his walks per 9.0IP from 3.9 to 2.5 in 2012
while his strikeouts per 9.0IP went from 5.9 in 2011 to 9.2 in 2012...SO/BB ratio went from 1.50 to 3.69 in 2012... Batters
hit .195 (17-87) with runners on base and .146 (7-48) with runners in scoring position, both marks were 13th-lowest in
the AL among relief pitchers...First 8 games of 2nd half: 5SV, 7.0IP, 3H, 0R, 1BB, 10K, .125AVG before two August
meltdowns...Left-handed batters recorded an OPS of .538 against him for the season compared to .780 by righties.
2011
Had another solid season as Indians closer, finishing 4th among American League closers with 36 saves in 40 chances (90%)...His 90% save conversion percentage was 4th in the AL...Also finished 19th among AL relievers in relief average against (.215) and tied for 21st in games pitched (64)...Selected to his first career American League All-Star Team...His 36 saves were the 9th highest single-season total in club history...His 60 career saves w/ Cleveland are 5th most in club history...Saved 14 of his final 15-save chances (93%) from August 6th-on and his final 9 chances from August 26th thru the end of the season...Saved 16 straight from May 1-July 15 (equaled career-high)...Allowed 2ER on April 21 @KC, his first blown save...Snapped string of 16 consecutive save chances since 8/12/10 & snapped scoreless IP streak at 26.1IP dating back to August 12, 2010 (25 games)...Dating back to August 12, 2010 he has saved 46 of 50 save chances overall (92%) and 29 of 32 one-run save opps (91%)...Allowed 1st HR of year on June 21 vs. Colorado (Smith)... Was first HR yielded since 7/27/10 @CIN, span of 60.1IP (62G)... Allowed a walk-off
grand slam at CWS on 9/10 (0.1IP, 2H, season-high 4R/ER)...From May 20 thru the end of the season he recorded an ERA of 3.38 (42.2IP, 34H, 16ER, 28K)...Allowed just 6ER in his last 20 games (2.84ERA, 19.0IP, 12H, 7R, 13K, 13 saves in 14 chances)...LHH had an OPS of just .598 off him w/a .198 average (22-111)...Batters hit .226 (21-93) off him with runners on base and .246 (15-61) with RISP.
2010
Had an outstanding season out of the bullpen for the Indians, flourishing in
the closers role over the last three months of the season and sported one of
the lowest ERA's among American League relievers...Finished the year 2-2
w/a 1.71 ERA in 63 appearances (63.0IP, 40H, 12ER, 28BB, 61SO), the 2nd
lowest ERA in the AL among relievers...His .182 (40-222) average against
was 5th lowest in the AL and his .133 (14-105) batting average allowed with
runners on base was 2nd lowest.
...Finished the year with 23 saves in 27 chances (85%), which was 12th in the AL...56 of his 63 appearances were
scoreless...Converted 8 straight saves from June 11 to August 2nd and converted 18 of his final 19 save chances and
his last 10 straight from August 16th thru the end of the season...Also converted his last 9 consecutive 1-run save
chances...Had 5 saves of at least 1.1IP for the year...Youngest Indians reliever (25) to record at least 20 saves in a season...From May 9 thru the end of the season his ERA was 1.51 (53.2IP, 32H, 9
ER, 56SO)...From June 18th on his ERA was 0.96 (37G, 37.2IP, 18H, 4
ER, 43SO) and from June 28th-on his ERA was 0.53 (33G, 32 scoreless
games, 34.0IP, 16H, 2 ER, 37SO), the lowest ERA among MLB relievers
over that span...Did not allow a run over 14 games and 12.1IP from April
12-May 29 and did not allow a run over his final 18.2 innings (17 games)
after blowing save on August 6th vs. Minnesota, a season-high among
Indians relievers...5 H, 21K, .086 AVG...Also had 14.1 scoreless streak
from June 28-Aug. 2 (15G).
...His inherited runner scored % of 22.6 (7 of 31) was T11th among league relievers...RHH batters had a .445 OPS off
him (.234OB/.211SLG)...Batters hit .085 (6-71) with RISP off him, the lowest mark in the AL among relievers and .077
(3-39) with RISP-2outs...Allowed 9 SB (0CS)...Combined ERA in the 9th inning and extra innings was 1.17 (38.1IP,
23H, 5ER)..Was 15th in AL among relievers w/10.4 runners all'd per 9.0IP and T20th in relief innings...Overall MLB
hitters hit .182 (40-220, 4HR) off him, including a mark of .154 (19-123) by RH hitters...Tribe Record: 44-19 (.698).
2009
Acquired mid-season from the St. Louis Cardinals and was dominant at times out of the Cleveland bullpen, going almost two months at one point without allowing a run...At the time of his acquisition he was 1-1 with 1 save and a 4.18 ERA (23.2 IP, 17 H, 12 R/11ER, 15 BB, 30 K) in 29 appearances for the Cardinals after beginning
the 2009 season at AAA Memphis where he was 1-0 with 2 saves and a 0.00 ERA (4.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 K) in 3 appearances...Recalled to St. Louis on April 15th and was with the Cards until the June 27th trade...With St. Louis he limited
Major League hitters to a .195 (17-87) average against, including a .180 (11-61) mark against right-handed hitters...At the time of the trade his 13.3 inherited runners % (2-of-15) was 6th best in the National League and averaged 11.4 strikeouts per 9.0IP (was tied for 20th in the NL at the time in relief SO w/30)...Made Tribe debut on June 29 vs. Chicago-AL (0.2 IP, 2 H, 4 ER, BB)...In 3rd appearance yielding a grand slam to
Paul Konerko on July 7 at Chicago-AL and over his first 3 outings allowed 6 runs (6ER) in 2.1 IP...From July 8th through the end of the season his ERA was 2.90 (31.0 IP, 18 H, 10 ER, 36 SO, 17 3VG, 10.5 SO/9.0 IP)...Did not allow a run over 20 consecutive relief appearances from July 8-Sept. 5 (20.2 IP, 9 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 25 K, .134 AVG)...The 20 straight outings and 20.2 consecutive scoreless innings were career-bests and Indians season bests...Longest scoreless stretch by a Tribe reliever since Paul Assenmacher (23.0IP) in 1997...25 of his 32 outings with Cleveland were scoreless...Earned first AL save on August 29 in Baltimore...Over his last nine games from Sept. 9th-on his ERA was 8.80 (10.1IP, 9H, 10ER)...12 of his 23 inherited runners with Cleveland scored (52%), including 3 on the season's final day after a Jed Lowrie grand slam on Oct 4 @BOS...On the year averaged 10.7 SO per 9.0 IP...Batters hit .245 (24-98) off him with runners on base, .261 (18-69) with RISP and .206 (7-34) with RISP-2outs...Combined on the year batters hit .201 (41-204) off him at the big league level, including a mark of .188 (13-69) by LHH...Underwent left ankle surgery on October 7 at the Cleveland Clinic to remove a loose bone from the back of his ankle and a cyst on the lateral side of the same joint...The 40-minute procedure was performed by Dr. Jim Sferra and Indians head team physician Dr. Mark Schickendantz
2008
Righty reliever began the season at Triple-A Memphis, but spent the majority of the season with St. Louis following a 5/16
purchase...Was the 1st player for STL, 7th in the Majors, from the June 2006 draft to make it to the Bigs...In his first season in the Majors, went 3-3 with 7 saves over 41 appearances. Had strikeouts in 27 of his 41 outings (42 K/
41.2 IP)...Was not called into the game as the closer until his 2nd time up with St. Louis, beginning 8/6 and promptly picked up seven
saves on the season...Of his 11 inherited runners, allowed just three to score. Had six Holds...At time of his first purchase on 5/16 was 1-1 at Triple-A with a team-leading eight saves and 2.04 ERA in 18 games. In 17.2 IP
he had fanned 22 batters and walked just nine...Originally purchased from Memphis on 5/16 and made his Major League debut that night vs. TB, facing 4 (one reached on E)
in 1.0 IP...Held opponents scoreless through his first seven outings (6.1 IP) to begin career...Credited with his 1st Major League win on 5/18 vs. TB after working a 1-2-3 9th inning...Surrendered his 1st HR 6/19 vs. KC (M. Teahen)-- had HRless streak of 13.1 IP prior to that HR...Was optioned 7/18 and recalled on 8/6. Fanned 16 and walked just 3 over 7.2 IP during 8 outings at Memphis from 7/18-8/3...Had 7 saves after recall on 8/6 (14 outings), fanning 20 batters in 17.2 IP. Three of his 7 saves were 4+ out saves...Over 13 outings (14.2 IP) in July & August at St. Louis allowed just 3 earned runs (1.84 ERA). Allowed no runs and had six
saves in his eight August relief apps...Named 3rd-best prospect in Cards' organization and the 12th-best prospect in PCL by Baseball America following the season
2007
The closer failed to convert his first save opportunity of the season at Springfield (AA) but was successful in each of his next 27 before a late season promotion to Triple-A Memphis...Was named a midseason and postseason Texas League All-Star...His 27 saves were 2nd-most in the Texas League and he finished 37 games, 4th-most in the league...Combined to convert 35-of-37 save opportunities between Springfield and Memphis...Averaged 13.72 strikeouts per nine innings, best among Texas League relievers...Limited opponents to a .126 batting average, also best among league relievers...Left-handed batters were 5-for-50 (.100) off him at Springfield with zero home runs...Was promoted
to Triple-A Memphis on 7/31...Combined to hold righties to a .115 (12-for-104) batting average on the season..Was on gold-medal winning IBAF World Cup team in Taiwan...Rated the Cardinals 2nd-best prospect by Baseball America.
2006
His 12 saves ranked 4th in the Cardinals minor league system and were tops among players from the '06 draft class...Limited right-handed batters to a .159 batting average...Rated the 3rd-best Cardinals prospect by Baseball
America...Was a compensation draft pick for the loss of free agent pitcher Matt Morris to San Francisco.
