Smashing Success

Fathers don’t usually celebrate after a child breaks a window ... unless it’s for a good cause.

Daniel Perales was 3 when he broke his first window. His father, Danny, had been tossing the ball to him in the front yard.

“I really didn’t think he’d take hold of the ball like he did, and he slammed a line drive into the window,” Danny said. “I was shocked. I said, ‘Oh my God.’”

Little Daniel thought he was going to be punished.

“His eyes got real big like he was in trouble,” Danny said. “I told him, ‘That’s a heck of a hit.’”

That window was fixed, and Perales kept hitting. These days, he’s sending balls over fences as a junior center fielder for Santa Ana Mater Dei High. He has tied the school record of 12 home runs held by Pat Manning, a 1999 third-round draft pick of the Atlanta Braves, entering the Monarchs’ Southern Section Division III playoff opener today against visiting Bellflower.

His coach, Burt Call, said Perales is “probably the best outfielder in Southern California.”

That praise isn’t offered solely because of Perales’ hitting skills. It’s his all-around play that has scouts and coaches buzzing. His strong arm and ability to run down fly balls have enhanced his reputation as someone who could be a five-tool player.

“Every game, he comes ready to go,” Call said. “Every at-bat, he concentrates. He’s had a great year offensively and defensively and saved games for us.”

All anyone needs to know about Perales’ ability is what he accomplished in a game against top-ranked La Puente Bishop Amat and its ace pitcher, Adam Simon, last March.

Simon, who signed with UCLA, is considered the No. 1 pitcher in Southern California. He struck out 13 and tossed a four-hitter to beat Mater Dei, 5-2, in a game at Cal State Fullerton.

Perales hit two home runs, one to right field and the other to center.

“That was incredible,” Call said. “The ball just jumped off his bat.”

Said Perales: “I came into the game with a lot of confidence. I knew there was a lot of hype on [Simon]. It was just timing. I was timing him in the batter’s box.”

Perales, 5 feet 11 and 175 pounds, bats and throws from the left side. He has always been a much sought-after talent, playing on many youth all-star teams. Last summer, he was a starter for the U.S. World Youth team that won a gold medal in Veracruz, Mexico.

His slender frame doesn’t resemble that of a typical power hitter, but he generates so much bat speed that when he makes firm contact, the ball almost explodes.

In the off-season, Perales worked on strengthening his upper body, back and chest muscles. He still looks skinny, making him a deceiving power threat. This season, he’s batting .392 with 28 runs batted in.

It’s his love for baseball and natural skills that have made Perales the player he is.

“I have fun,” he said. “It makes me relax. It just feels like a whole different world from the world of responsibility and work.”

Perales has benefited from having four loyal, loving adults in his life. He lives with his mother, stepfather and two younger siblings in Orange, but his father and stepmother remain influential supporters.

“He has two fathers that really care for him and two mothers who care for him,” Danny said.

Danny, a Santa Ana police officer for more than 20 years, has been the disciplinarian. Gina, Perales’ mother, is a school teacher.

“My parents raised me to be real respectful,” said Perales, who has a 3.4 grade-point average. “My dad’s big thing was be humble, down to earth, play within yourself and have fun. And that’s what I do, playing a game I’ve been playing my whole life. They try to warn me about mistakes but let me make my own mistakes to learn.”

Not that Danny doesn’t pass along constant warnings from his experiences as a police officer.

He’s always cutting out newspaper clippings to make sure his oldest son understands the dangers of teenage life, such as staying out late or attending the wrong party.

“He’ll talk to me for hours about the road you don’t want to go down, the people you don’t want to hang out with,” Perales said. “He goes, ‘Daniel, I’m your dad. This is what I’m here for. I got to do this.’”

This has been a baseball season in which a number of outstanding juniors have stepped forward to establish themselves as college and professional prospects, from Delmon Young of Camarillo to Ian Stewart of Westminster La Quinta.

Perales has put himself near the top of the list because of his commitment to being an all-around player.

“I wanted to come out fresh, healthy, strong and ready to go,” he said. “Everything has worked out.”

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Eric Sondheimer can be reached at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.