The morning of the All-Star game there was a family brunch for the players and their families. Before entering the brunch, they handed out All-Star rings. When I picked mine up, they asked me to try it on. (I already had planned to give the ring to my Dad, so I had told them to make the ring [five] sizes too big for me.) My Dad was right next to me and noticed how big it was on me. I tried to play it off, but he kept making a deal about it. So finally I just walked away.
Flash forward to after the game, my family and I are relaxing back in the hotel, and I pulled out the ring and gave it to him. He was shocked, surprised, happy, and speechless. I couldn’t think of anyone else that deserved the ring more than him; he’s the reason I love the game, and the reason I became an All-Star.
It was a small token of appreciation for all the hours and money spent on me playing ball growing up.
- Indians closer Chris Perez in a recent interview with The Bleacher Report. Perez recently signed a one-year contract with the Tribe, netting him $4.5 million and allowing both sides to avoid arbitration.
[Related: Greener Grass, Revisionist History and Chris Perez]
