1. Eddie Perez, Catcher, Atlanta Braves
Up until 1999, Eddie Perez had established himself as a solid backup catcher and took on the more high-profile role of serving as Greg Maddux’s personal catcher. But a season-ending knee injury to Javy Lopez in July of ’99 forced Perez to be the starter and he flourished for the Braves in their dramatic 1999 NLCS victory over the New York Mets.
Perez homered in the Series’ first two games, including a sixth-inning dinger in Game 2 that scored the eventual game-winning runs. Perez would tally five RBIs in total for the Series to complement a .500 batting average in what was the offensive highlight stretch of his career.
Perez would appear in only 12 games total over the next two seasons for Atlanta before being traded to Cleveland for the 2002 season. After a tour with Milwaukee, Perez returned to the Braves in 2004 where he resumed his familiar backup role.
NOTE: Check back next week for the American League edition of “October’s Very Own.”
