Fernando Perez '04CC and the Rays Are Going to the World Series
10/20/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. ? Former Columbia standout Fernando Perez '04CC is going to the World Series in his first Major League season. His Tampa Bay Rays won a thrilling Game 7 on Sunday night against the defending champion Boston Red Sox.
Called up on August 31, Perez impressed in his first month as a Major Leaguer, with three home runs and eight runs batted in during 23 games while playing consistently in the outfield.
It was a performance that earned him a spot on the postseason roster and the Elizabeth, N.J. native has shown that he deserved his chance.
Down 1-0 in Game 2, Perez came off the bench as a pinch runner and scored the winning run in the 11th inning, giving Tampa Bay a 9-8 win, helping lift the Rays to a 3-1 series lead after four games.
"Every day feels like a crowning achievement for me," Perez told Peter Abraham of the Westchester (N.Y.) Journal News. "But that was a great moment."
Perez hopes to have another great moment in the World Series, which begins Wednesday, October 22 at Tropicana Field, the Rays' home park, against the National League champion Philadelphia Phillies.
