Correspondent photo / Robert Hayes Baseball Hall of Famer Tony Perez sits in a golf cart with former big leaguer Darrell Evans during the YSU Baseball Golf Extravaganza at the Lake Club on Monday.

POLAND — The recent weather sure says “baseball”.

With the school year looming, Youngstown State’s baseball program held their annual Golf extravaganza Monday morning on a warm Monday afternoon at the Lake Club in Poland. This year’s event included appearances by former major leaguers Tony Perez, Keith Foulke, and Darrell Evans.

All three have World Series titles to their names, with Perez being one of the major components of the Cincinnati Reds’ success in the 1970s, while also a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

In an era where fundraising is nearly as important as coaching, YSU coach Trevor Charpie was pleased with the event.

“It’s awesome. It’s awesome to see the community support, it’s awesome to have those guys out here,” Charpie said. “They were great last night (at the dinner). It was fun to have them banter back and forth. That was really cool, it helps us as coaches too. We were just talking with Darrell for a long time, talking hitting, it’s a shame they put a time limit on it because we would have been talking all night.

“It’s interesting to see the different things that they thought, especially with their swing, or with Keith and the way he pitched. Now we might have more data, but they were still doing it then, so it’s nice to hear kind of an older school style and be able to put that together with the way baseball is going now, with it being so analytical speaking, with all the technology and stuff.”

As a player Perez is, two time World Series champion, helping the Reds earn the title in 1975 and 1976. Affectionately named “The Big Red Machine”, the Reds suited up players such as Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, George Foster, Ken Griffey Sr., Dave Concepción, Cesar Gerónimo, and Perez.

With starting pitchers such as Don Gullett, Gary Nolan, and Jack Billingham, the squads led by Hall of Fame manager Sparky Anderson became a force in the National League.

As good as the numbers were, Perez identifies defense as a factor for the World Series teams.

“Last night I wore a shirt that said “The Big Red Machine”. I wear it now because I’m very proud of them, and I’m very proud to play with those guys,” he said. “We knew how to play the game, we knew how to score runs, we knew how to win. Spark Anderson, the manager, did a great job, we just rolled up. In the 70s, it was hard to beat us.”

“The defense up the middle. Catching Johnny Bench, second basemen Joe Morgan, shortstop David Concepción and third basemen Pete Rose. Up the middle, it was fantastic. Geronimo in centerfield, he was a tremendous guy, good hitter, but he was a great defender with a great arm. The defense up the middle, it was very good.”

Growing up in Cuba, Perez looked up to Hall of Famer Minnie Minoso as one of his influences.

“We did hear much about the big leagues back then from the country on the island, and we heard about big leagues and professional baseball. We played professional baseball there. The Cuban players, we saw winter ball there. Minnie Minoso from the White Sox was the big player, for a younger player like me growing up, we got Minnie Minoso,” Perez said.

Perez remembers the feeling of his debut during a double header versus the Pittsburgh Pirates at Cincinnati’s Crosley Field, going 0-2 with a walk in game one, then 0-4 during the second half of the twinbill following an overnight flight out of Oklahoma City.

“I hit the ball well. I didn’t get a hit, but after that I was fine,” Perez added.

In such an illustrious career, picking out a “highlight” moment can be tough for some, but for Perez, the choice was easy. In the 15th inning of the 1967 All-Star game at then called Anaheim Stadium, Perez belted a solo homer off future Hall of Fame pitcher Catfish Hunter.

He earned All-Star MVP honors in his All-Star debut, helping the National League win 2-1.

“That was my personal favorite moment, but as a team, the 1975 and 1976 World Series,” Perez said. “In the All-Star games I looked around and saw Willie Mays, and Bob Gibson, Willie Stargell, great players, Roberto Clemete, Orlando Cepeda, that was great.

“Then on the other side, Frank Robinson, Mickey Mantle, you just look at those guys and say “Wow, wow”, I’m here.”

With a playing career that lasted from 1964 through 1986, Perez appreciates all of the different eras of ballplayers that he had the chance to interact with, which led him into coaching and front office work.

“As a ballplayer, when I was growing up, I saw those guys from the 40s and the 50s, and I really enjoyed seeing played,” Perez said. “Then when I got to the big leagues in the 60s, 70s, and 80s, I played myself. I was very happy about it, then after I retired, I coached, stayed in the game, trying to help the younger guys.

“In Miami (1997, 2004) we won two World Series, in Cincinnati (1990) we won one, I enjoyed all of my career, I can say thank God for that.”