By Adam Peng ’18, Sports Editor
Last Saturday August 22nd at 4:30, Atanasio “Tony” Pérez Rigal, a former Major League Baseball (MLB) player for the Cincinnati Reds and member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, came to Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.
It was a special night for him, “The Big Red Machine”, and all Cincinnati Reds fans. Over that weekend, called the “Tony Perez Weekend”, a bronze statue of Pérez was unveiled near the entrance of Great American Ballpark. The statue was constructed by local artist Tom Tsuchiya and commissioned by the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame & Museum.
Following Ted Kluszewski, Ernie Lombardi, Frank Robinson, Joe Nuxhall, Johnny Bench and Joe Morgan, Tony Perez became the eighth player honored with a statue at the stadium.
In the statue, “Big Dog” is stepping out, swinging his bat, and hitting the ball with all his force, as if his fantastic talent is coming alive.
The swing for the pose was modeled from his two-run home run in the sixth inning of the seventh game of the 1975 World Series Against the Boston Red Sox, cutting the lead to 3-2, and setting the stage and set the stage for Joe Morgan’s game-winning hit and the Big Red Machine’s first World Series. This hit will permanently be remembered as one of the most important plays in Reds history.
“I think one of the great things about this sculpture is that (fans) can interact with them,” Tsuchiya said. “They can pose with them, be the umpire.”
As the 1st baseman for the Cincinnati Reds, Tony Perez played 2777 games over a 23-year career. He was a 7 time all-star, 3 times World Series champion, and MLB All-Star Game MVP. His number 24 was retired by the Cincinnati Reds when he was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame in 2000. Pérez was a key member of the “Big Red Machine”, along with fellow stars Pete Rose and Johnny Bench.
