As a former player, Eduardo Pérez had to deal with the media during his playing career. However, things have changed now that he is on the other side of the fence. During an upcoming episode of Awful Announcing’s Short and to the Point podcast, Pérez told host Jessica Kleinschmidt that some aspects of his relationship with the media have shifted since he started wearing a suit and tie.
“It really did, it did. Some aspects I won’t lie to you — it did,” he told Kleinschmidt. “Because you listen to some of the players that are like, ‘Hey, don’t trust the media. Don’t do this, don’t do that.’ But I also grew up having flown with my father [Hall of Famer Tony Pérez] on commercial flights in Major League Baseball, where the Cincinnati Reds back then and a lot of teams would fly commercial, and the media would also be on those flights.
“And I used to see that dynamic where the media — you could say, the beat writers of that organization — had a personal relationship with the players. You could see them at the hotel bar together, sometimes having conversations, and you didn’t have to say off the record; they knew.
“And now, it’s different. It’s different because we have so many outlets. Everybody wants to get the news out there first, even if it’s not right, so you have to be careful, but you have to be respectful of the job they also have to do.
“And understand that, look, even as a player, we used to get out of the ballpark sometimes at 11, 11:30. I did not realize those beat writers weren’t getting out of there until another hour after because they had to go to the clubhouse, but then write and be able to put that down and have a deadline to do so.”
Pérez, who was chosen as an analyst for ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball team in 2022 (alongside Karl Ravech and David Cone), said he’s learned to have a different appreciation for the media.
Before this, Pérez had been an analyst on the Baseball Tonight: Sunday Night Countdown team and Béisbol Esta Noche on ESPN Deportes. He regularly appeared as an analyst during Monday Night Baseball and Wednesday Night Baseball telecasts. Pérez worked as an analyst at ESPN from 2006 to 2010 and later returned to the network in 2014.
“I’ve been this now a lot longer than I played in the big leagues,” Pérez said. “Tim Kurkjian is one of my big-time mentors, and I’m one of the biggest fans of Tim from Day 1. And he’s shown me the ropes of all the things and told me the stories, which I love listening to his stories, of the Earl Weavers.
“And seeing the process now compared to what it is now; it’s completely different. But, it’s still exhilarating for that person, and I’ve tried to always make sure that I have that passion — the same way I did when I played that I do now when I broadcast.”
Pérez has seen his name surfaced for managerial openings before, but he seems content with his broadcasting gig. In 2019, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported that Pérez had emerged as the “clear frontrunner” for the New York Mets managerial opening, which became vacant after the team fired Mickey Callaway.
The Mets eventually hired former All-Star Carlos Beltran, who resigned from his post nearly a month after being implicated in the Houston Astros cheating scandal when he was still an aplyer. If the job had gone to Pérez, it wouldn’t have been his first time managing.
In 2008 and 2009, Pérez managed the Leones de Ponce in the Puerto Rico Baseball League. He won the Manager of the Year award in 2008, leading the team to a league championship. He also led Colombia’s team in the 2013 World Baseball Classic Qualifying Round, earning a 1-2 record.
In 2011, Pérez, then a special assistant to the baseball operations department of the Cleveland Guardians, was appointed as the hitting coach of the Miami Marlins. He held this position until the end of the 2012 season when most staff, including manager Ozzie Guillén, were let go.
During the 2013 season, Pérez was the Astros bench coach, reporting to manager Bo Porter. The following year, he was appointed the first base coach for the Astros. Unfortunately, Pérez resigned from this role in January 2014, citing his desire to spend more time with his family. That’s when he ultimately returned to ESPN.
“I love where I am I’m at right now, and I love the family that I have created at ESPN, ” he said. “They’ve been wonderful to me. I love from the leadership standpoint to my teammates — Tim Kurkjian, as I mentioned earlier, and I’ll mention Karl Ravech as well.
“It’s all about the team, and you have to have that camaraderie; you have to have that aspect, and we’ve created that there. We’ve created it with (David Cone). We’ve created it with our producers and our directors as well. And I think that’s what plays big into this.
“I can call them, and it doesn’t have to be just about the job — it can be about family. And I think that’s what you want in any job and any workplace; you want to be able to have that. Not only that, I’ve created an extension to the family as well…
“It’s a family dynamic that we have. Now, do I miss putting on the uniform? Do I miss the clubhouse? Look, I was raised in the clubhouse, but I get to get my fix every Sunday. I get to get my fix during Spring Training. I think it plays huge into who I am as a person.
“And most importantly, I’ve been able to see my girls — my two daughters — grow up, graduate, and be there for their big moments. And I wouldn’t have been able to do that if I was coaching, if I was managing, if I was in the front office…For that, I have zero regrets because that’s the coolest part of the gig.”
Short and to the Point with Jessica Kleinschmidt is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.
