Eleven years ago, Salvador Perez struck a line of driving on the face of Aroldis Chapman. He triggered a lifetime link
More than 11 years later, memory remains disturbing.
The Cactus League match between the Royals of Kansas City and the Reds of Cincinnati has practically no sense. But whoever saw the line leaving off the bat of the bat Salvador Perez, Aroldis Chapman above the left eye, will never forget the terrifying view.
“On March 20, 2014. The sixth round, busy bases. It was a 2-1 account, I believe, “said Tomas Vera, Deputy Sports Coach of the Reds, walking as if they occurred yesterday.
“I felt so guilty,” said Brayan Peña, the receiver of Chapman that evening. “If guilty, you can’t even imagine.”
Chapman, then 26 years old, was already a double lift of stars. He wanted to throw a cursor in Perez, a star receiver approaching his 24th birthday. Peña called for a quick ball. Chapman shook him. Peña again called a quick ball. Chapman threw it 99 MPH. And then. . .
“I have witnessed something so shocking that I can’t even watch the videos,” said Peña, who is now a catchy coordinator of minor leagues with the Detroit Tigers.
Vera rushed to the mound to take care of Chapman, working with the Royals trainers to activate an emergency action plan. Chapman was removed from the field on a stretcher and transported to an emergency room nearby, in Arizona, the managers and the referees decided to cancel the rest of the game.
Ramón Hernández, a former receiver of the Reds who was training in the spring with the Royals, led Perez, a Venezuelan compatriot, to the hospital. A group of Reds players also went to visit Chapman. The same goes for a number of Cubans from other teams in Arizona who wanted to see their compatriot. Chapman’s father, Juan Alberto Chapman Bennett, was also present.
“When I saw Chappy in the room,” said Perez, “I started crying.”
Chapman also shed tears when Peña, a Cuban compatriot, put his hand on his shoulder and spoke to him in Spanish, checking if the launcher was alert. Perez apologized to Chapman, explaining that he had never intended to hit the ball. But he remembers that Chapman reassured him, saying: “Everything will be fine.”
At that time, however, Chapman’s prognosis was far from clear. Vera said that the installation of surprise was “not prepared for this type of trauma”. The team’s doctors, Vincent Key and Timothy Kremchek of the Royals and the Reds, supervised the transfer of Chapman to Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center to Phoenix. The next day, the pitcher underwent a procedure of 2 1/2 time in which a titanium plate was inserted into the bone above its left eyebrow.
Chapman, who also underwent a slight cerebral concussion, remembers having been at the hospital for three days, and Perez visited him every day. They knew each other before, but above all as an adversaries.
“After this moment, we got closer,” said Chapman through his interpreter with the Boston Red Sox, Carlos Villoria-Benítez. “He has become his family essentially.”
After the New York Yankees eliminated the Royals from last year’s division series, Perez spent two additional days in Kansas City, then stole with his family in his house off -season in Miami.
On the first day of return, on Sunday, his phone rang.
“Where are you?” Chapman asked.
“Chappy, what do you mean?” Replied Perez. “I just finished playing 48 hours ago. I want to relax a bit. ”
Chapman had nothing.
“No, no, no,” he said, according to Perez. “Do you have 30 minutes?” Come to me. Let’s start working now. “
Chapman and Perez live near each other in Miami. They use the same strength and packaging coach, Nestor Moreno. And Chapman rightly felt that Perez was preparing to go on vacation. Start training right away, he said to Perez, and it will not be as difficult to resume once your return.
Chapman frowned on the idea that Perez even takes on leave.
“You will have enough time to go on vacation to your retirement,” he told Perez.
Chapman is an All-Star eight times, but his career has not been without his low moments. Outside the field, he was suspended for 30 games for his role in an alleged domestic violence incident in 2016. On the field, while with New York Yankees, he authorized the home circuits by Jose Altuve of Houston and Mike Brosseau of Tampa Bay to decide on the series of series eliminations – the last after Chapman launched a quick ball at the series previously.
Now, at 37, Chapman may appreciate his best season. He did not allow a blow to the last 46 strikers he faced. It is on average 98.9 MPH with its quick ball, putting it in the upper 2% of the league. In 54 rounds, its ERA is 1.00. His opponent’s middle stick is 0.115. He did his eighth star team in July, and earlier this week, the Red Sox rewarded it with a one -year extension of $ 13.3 million.
“The way he is preparing, people don’t see it,” said Perez. “During the offseason, I have the opportunity to see it every day.”
Perez said he had first learned the importance of a strong work ethics from the former teammate of the Royals Alex Gordon, who came out of the spring sweating room just when Perez entered, trying to be the first in the complex.
Chapman has become an even more lasting example, inspiring Perez, an All-Star of nine times, to become one of the most durable sensors of his time. Since 2023, only Cal Raleigh de Seattle has played more games than Perez at Catcher’s. And Perez, who is 3 and a half years old at 35 more than Raleigh, has only four games behind.
“I learned from Chapman,” said Perez. “When you are 24-25 years old and you start working very hard, it’s not to prepare for this day. It is so that you can be available at this age, 35-36-37.
“When I arrived at the big leagues at 21-22, I could warm up in 10 seconds. I could put my equipment and go catch. But I learned from Chappy that it all starts during the offseason. How much work do you put? How much are you sacrificing? What kind of player do you want to be?
Chapman answered these questions in a resounding way. In 16 seasons, he only made three trips to the injured list for arms problems. None was terribly long. The last one was in 2021, for inflammation of the left elbow.
His three other stays he since we were hit by the Perez line reader was everything for leg problems. Chapman even quickly recovered from his facial surgery at the end of March 2014, joining the Reds on May 10, then launching fairly well in the next two months to do the star team.
“I always say it (Perez), if we want to stay in this business and stay there for many years, we have to work hard,” said Chapman. “Maybe when we were 25 years old, we did things to a lesser extent because we had young people and we had talent. But once you arrive at a certain age, you have to work twice as hard.”
Perez took these words to heart, while absorbing Gordon’s first lessons. Ryan O’Hearn of San Diego Padres, member of the Royals from 2018 to 22, remembers having tried to be the first to arrive for spring training training, just as Perez did in his first years with the team. O’Hearn couldn’t do it. Perez and a young receiver whom he mentored, Freddy Fermin, would already be in the building.
The Royals manager Matt Quatraro, gleamed to the declaration that Perez made to him just after the deadline for trade, when the Royals sent Fermin, his safeguard, to the Padres de San Diego.
“You protected me enough,” said Perez. “Now I grab the rest of the year each game.”
Quatraro reminded Perez that it was not 2015, when he captured 155 games, including qualifiers, during the Royals race for the World Series.
“We need you hit Every day, the rest of the year, “said Quatraro.
Perez later said that he was joking, that he would play the first goal, DH, wherever his manager wishes. Whatever his position, his enthusiasm remains unrestrained.
The Royals have exchanged farm in part because after 15 seasons, they still believe in Perez. Admittedly, the Ops + of Perez are just around the league average after last season being 22% above. But its 24 circuits ranked second in the team only against the 29 of Vinnie Pasquantino. He continues to launch well and remains the heart and soul of the team.
This is the last guaranteed season of the $ 82 million contract over four years in Perez. The Royals have an option of $ 13.5 million, and their decision to take it will probably be obvious. They could even consider adding another year of option, giving Perez time to help their highest capture prospect, Carter Jensen, acclimatize to the majors.
Perez jokingly jokes that he feels like being 25 years old. He pays attention to his diet, diligent with his routines. Before the matches, he said, “I never miss the weight room.” After the matches, he will dip in a cold bathtub, will move in a hot tub, then end up in the cold bathtub before allowing his body to warm up again.
“One of my goals is to play up to 40 years,” said Perez. “I want to be like Yadi Molina. It was the guy I followed when I was young. He played until the age of 39. ”
Chapman, on the other hand, will launch next season at 38 years old. Unlike Perez, who only played for the Royals and only wants to play for the Royals, the lifter has rebounded. The Red Sox are his seventh team and fifth in the last four seasons.
One of Chapman’s judgments, at the request of Perez, was Kansas City in 2023. Chapman signed a free agent contract of $ 3.5 million with the Royals, produced an MPM of 1.71 in 21 rounds with Perez as a receiver, then was exchanged in Texas to death for Lefty Cole Ragans.
With the Rangers, Chapman became World Series champion for the second time. However, he speaks almost wonderfully about his time with the Royals and Perez, saying that it was special, part of the plan of God.
Few people could have imagined that their story turns out to be this, that a shot lining on the face of a launcher would lead the two players who form a lasting link.
“It’s crazy to see how such a bad time, such a terrible event, led to this relationship,” said Peña. “And it’s beautiful to see how much they work together, how much they love each other.”
Not long ago, Chapman was in a car with someone, chatting with Perez via FaceTime. Rather than trying to lead two conversations at the same time, he told the person of the car to hold on, explaining that he was talking to his upOr really good friend.
Perez attacked this description.
“I am not your up“He retaliated.” I am your brother. “”
Maria Torres of athletics helped make reports for this story.
(Photo of Aroldis Chapman and Salvador Perez: Matt Stone / Boston Herald)
