Perez on His Way Up, Naturally

It is hardly a secret. The Angels are well aware of it, and Eddie Perez knows it.

Maybe it will occur later this summer, maybe in 1994. But one day soon, Perez--like his father, Tony, before him--will be a major league third baseman.

“He’s going to be a big leaguer,” said Angel General Manager Whitey Herzog, who recently returned from scouting triple-A Vancouver in Albuquerque, N.M. “He might be one year away, he might be 1 1/2 years away. We should know more by July.”

Perez, 23, was selected by the Angels in the June 1991 free-agent draft and has landed at triple-A Vancouver in only his third summer. Despite his quick ascent up the organizational ladder, the son of the Cincinnati manager said he isn’t counting the days until he is wearing a major league uniform.

“I never set a timetable for myself,” Perez said. “I’m letting our organization decide that. Whenever they think I’m ready, I’m ready.”

And how close to being ready does Perez think he is?

“I’m not paid to think,” he said.

Judging from his early statistics, he is getting closer to being ready. He was batting .326 with two home runs and 19 runs batted in through Sunday.

But high altitudes in the Pacific Coast League inflate statistics and, as Herzog pointed out, it’s still early.

“The adjustment (to triple A) has come pretty good so far,” Perez said. “I’m not worrying so much now.”

Perez batted .288 with Boise, the Angels’ single-A short-season team in 1991, knocking in 22 runs and hitting one homer in 46 games.

Last summer, Perez hit .314 with three homers and 35 RBIs in 54 games at single-A Palm Springs before slumping to .230 with three homers and 23 RBIs at double-A Midland.

He has shown some baserunning acumen, too, stealing 12, 14 and 19 bases during three minor league stops.

Meanwhile, he has been making the adjustment to third base. He was drafted as an outfielder but was moved to third last summer. He credits Eddie Rodriguez, the Angels’ roving infield instructor, with helping him make the move successfully.

“It’s good, I like it,” Perez said. “I feel comfortable there.”

The Angels have been impressed with Perez’s versatility, too.

“He could play right field, first base or left field, too,” Herzog said. “He’s a good athlete. He’s very intelligent. And he’s a very good baserunner. He’s not speedy, but he knows when to take the extra base.”

Although Perez talks to his father every couple of days, Tony, despite years of playing third base for the Big Red Machine, stayed out of it when the Angels moved his son to third.

“He let the organization help me out,” Eddie Perez said. “They’re the ones who see me the most.”

Perez said growing up in a big-league atmosphere has helped him some, but then again, years of exposure to the majors wouldn’t help someone with no skills.

“(The exposure) probably has helped, but I haven’t been able to pinpoint one thing,” Perez said. “I play the same way I played before. It comes naturally.”

Which is the same way his big early season numbers have grabbed the attention of the guys in Anaheim. Naturally.

“It’s nice to see him get off to a good start,” Angel Manager Buck Rodgers said. “He’s in our plans down the line.

“How far, we don’t know.”

If Perez has anything to do with it, he won’t be in the minors for long.

It’s not the bus rides and, no, it’s not the fast-food meals.

See, he isn’t a big fan of Vancouver.

“It’s a little rainy,” he said. “It’s a little too wet.”

*

The rumors reached Doug Linton in Syracuse, N.Y.--home of the Toronto Blue Jays’ triple-A affiliate--last week. Jack Morris had a sore shoulder. He could be sidelined a couple of weeks.

And sure enough, the Blue Jays recalled Linton--a Canyon High and UC Irvine product--Friday. Linton started--and took the loss--against Baltimore Saturday.

The right-handed pitcher had an inkling that something was up Wednesday night during his start at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

“They only let me go five innings,” he said. “They told me I might be going up. (Manager Nick) Leyva said before the game that they were only going to give me five innings because Morris was hurting.”

Linton yielded only one hit that evening but, unfortunately, it was a two-run homer in a 2-1 loss.

“In the beginning of the season, I wasn’t throwing great,” Linton said. “I was muscling the ball, overthrowing. With Nick slowing me down, everything has been a lot smoother.”

Linton was with Toronto for two stints last season, going 1-3 with an 8.63 earned-run average in eight games. That gave him encouragement going into this season.

“I know what it takes to be up there,” he said. “I had four good games and four bad games last year in the big leagues. The bad games really outweighed the good because the bad games were really bad.

“When I had good games, I was throwing strikes. You have to stay ahead and show you can get the breaking ball over. Otherwise, they will pound you.”

This year, Linton had only walked six batters in 31 innings.

“There’s a big difference in being around the plate and throwing strikes,” he said.

Which is something he will now get a chance to prove in the majors. Again.

*

Despite playing in only eight major league games, Linton was voted a share of the Blue Jays’ playoffs and World Series earnings. And he was flown to Toronto on one of Syracuse’s off days in April to receive a World Series ring.

“Toronto is a class organization,” he said. “I’ve been there for seven years and I have nothing bad to say. They’re a class act.”

His World Series share was--hold your breath--$36,000. For eight games.

“I wasn’t expecting that much at all,” he said. “I was playing winter ball and I told my wife we’d probably be getting something between $3,000 and $7,000.

“When she told me it was that much, I said, ‘Holy Cow!’ I couldn’t believe it. I told her not to spend it all in one place.”

*

No Snow in New Orleans: Two weeks after he obtained his release from the Angels’ organization--thanks in large part to the quick start of J.T. Snow--first baseman Don Barbara was on a plane to New Orleans, set to join the Milwaukee Brewers’ triple-A club there.

“They just want me to go out and do what I was doing for the Angels,” Barbara said. “Not change anything, just go out and play. They’re going to have me play every day, maybe get me a shot up there (in Milwaukee).”

Barbara flew to New Orleans Thursday to play that night--he had no idea against whom--before the team left on a trip.

“It’s like a cat with nine lives,” said Barbara, who attended Cal State Long Beach. “I get a new start.”