Hampshire native Perez continues to toil on the mound - with both arms

Most people would think throwing a baseball with each arm clocked in the low 90-mile-per-hour range would be an anomaly.

Even more of an oddity would be doing so while pitching for a Major League Baseball minor-league affiliate.

But to Westminster Christian graduate and Hampshire native Ryan Perez, it's completely normal.

Perez recently completed his second season as an ambidextrous relief pitcher with the Cleveland Indians' short-season Class A Mahoning Valley Scrappers team in Niles, Ohio.

"It's funny because people think it's a unique thing. It's something they've never seen before," said Perez, who was signed by the Indians as a non-drafted free agent in June of last year. "I've been throwing with both arms my whole life. It's not unique to me. To me throwing with both arms is being a normal person."

Perez said his father, Juan, started him throwing with both hands at a young age. "My dad is left-handed. I'm the youngest of six kids and none of them are left-handed," he said. "He got me going left-handed but he kept my right arm (Perez's natural throwing arm) going in case the left-handed thing didn't work. By the time I was in T-ball, you couldn't tell. Both arms were pretty fluid."

Perez, who played collegiately at Judson University, finished this season with a 2-3 record and a 5.02 ERA in 28 relief appearances. He struck out 20 in 28⅔ innings of work and had 3 saves. Last year, Perez was 0-1 with a 6.48 ERA in 22 appearances. He had 22 strikeouts in 25 innings of work.

"Compared to last year, I thought I did better," he said. "I was more consistent in the strike zone and I finished with both arms healthy. I finished the season strong."

Perez, who also learned how to switch-hit when he was very young, said the use of his arms was "pretty even this year."

"They don't really keep stats on that," he said with a laugh. "I hope they start keeping those stats because it would help me a lot. Both sides got innings. Last year I didn't switch in the middle of innings a lot. They wanted me to get experience from both sides. This year they were OK with me switching more during an inning."

Perez pointed out he can only switch arms at the start of a batter and if there is a switch-hitter at the plate, by rule, Perez must first declare which arm he is going to throw with.

"If it's a left-handed batter I'll throw lefty and then throw righty if it's a right-handed batter," he said. "I throw basically the same pitches from both sides. Sometimes one arm won't have the greatest stuff. The left side could have a better slider one day and the next day the changeup might be working better from the right. Sometimes, both arms are on. It's no different than any other pitcher. Some days things work and some days not so much. I wish I knew how to control it to where both arms would feel good at the same time."

Warming up in the bullpen does not usually involve both arms, Perez noted. "Before the game and before batting practice I will play catch with both arms," he said. "If I know I'm going to be throwing to left-handed batters only, I'll warm up lefty. The team lets me know if I'll be throwing with both hands before the game. Like with any other pitcher they will ask how I'm feeling and with me I'll tell them I can throw from both sides."

Perez had been preparing to leave for Puerto Rico where he was slated to pitch for the Aguadilla Sharks of the Caribbean League, but, according to Juan Perez, found out earlier this week the Indians have requested he not play in the league and rest his arms. Perez said he had minor issues in each arm earlier in the season, but finished the campaign healthy. The next step up the ladder, Perez said, would be the Indians' low Class A full-season team.

"They would like me to continue matching up to batters with both arms - a matchup guy out of the bullpen," he said prior to finding out about not playing in Puerto Rico.

Perez said he's one of two players in the Major League Baseball system currently throwing with both hands, the other being current Seattle Mariners pitcher Pat Venditte, who also has appeared in Major League games for the Oakland A's and was in the Toronto Blue Jays organization.

"I'm determined," Perez said, talking about his professional baseball future. "I am going to ride this bus until I can't ride it anymore. I'm taking things one step at a time. I'm not thinking too far ahead. You get in trouble if you do that. I'm going to give it my all and take things one step at a time."

Hix to Aurora: Congratulations to Batavia senior right-side and team captain Michaela Hix who has committed to continue her studies and play volleyball at Aurora University. Hix is a 2-year varsity starter for longtime Bulldogs coach Lori Trippi Payne.

Mike Miazga has been covering sports in the Fox Valley for more than two decades. He can be reached at mjm890@gmail.com.