Perez Strikes Back Against Edmonton

A former Angel phenom did some damage to Edmonton, the Angels’ triple-A affiliate, last week.

Eduardo Perez, the Angels’ top draft pick in 1991, went two for three with a double and a triple and drove in four runs in Memphis’ 8-2 victory Monday. Perez was traded by the Angels to Cincinnati in 1996. He was signed to a minor-league contract by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1999 and is hitting .352 with eight home runs and 32 runs batted in for Memphis this season.

Perez’s offensive muscle came at the expense of Edmonton starter Brian Cooper. He is one of three pitchers who had success at double-A Erie a year ago but have struggled early at the triple-A level.

Seth Etherton is 1-1 with a 4.85 earned-run average and Matt Wise is 1-3 with a 4.78 ERA.

Cooper and Etherton, in fact, have dyed their hair to try to change their luck. Cooper went from light brown hair to jet black. Etherton bleached his hair.

“This is the darkest it’s been,” Cooper told the Edmonton Sun. “I went platinum a few times and thought I’d give it a whirl and see what black is like. I need a change. An 8.00 ERA ain’t getting it done.”

Maybe there is something to that. Cooper threw a four-hit shutout in his next start, a 3-0 victory over Fresno. He is 2-4 with a 6.37 ERA.

Edmonton relievers Juan Alvarez, Lou Pote and Steve Mintz also dyed their hair--Alvarez bleach blond, Pote golden blond and Mintz a yellow-orange tint.