Gerald Perry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gerald Perry |
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| First baseman | |||
| Born: October 30, 1960 Savannah, Georgia, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| August 11, 1983, for the Atlanta Braves | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| August 24, 1995, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .265 | ||
| Home runs | 59 | ||
| Runs batted in | 396 | ||
| Teams | |||
As player
As coach
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Gerald June Perry was born on October 30, 1960. He is an American former professional baseball player. He played as a first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB).
Perry played for three different teams. These were the Atlanta Braves, Kansas City Royals, and St. Louis Cardinals. His playing career lasted from 1983 to 1995. After playing, he became a baseball coach.
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Playing Career Highlights
Gerald Perry had a great season in 1988. He achieved a batting average of .300 that year. This means he got a hit in 30% of his official turns at bat.
He was one of only five players in the National League to hit .300 or better. These players also had enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title. Perry was close to winning the title for most of the season. He finished fifth overall. Tony Gwynn won the title that year with a .313 batting average.
For his excellent performance, Perry was chosen for the 1988 National League All-Star team. This is a big honor in baseball.
Pinch-Hitting Records
In 1993, Perry played for the St. Louis Cardinals. He tied a club record for the most pinch hits in one season. He had 24 pinch hits that year. A pinch hitter is a player who bats in place of another player.
By 1995, he became the Cardinals' all-time leader in pinch hits. He achieved his 70th pinch hit for the team. This showed his skill in coming off the bench to get important hits.
Coaching Career
After his playing days, Gerald Perry became a hitting coach. He helped players improve their batting skills.
He coached for several MLB teams:
- He was with the Seattle Mariners from 2000 to 2002.
- Then, he coached the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2003 to 2005.
- He joined the Oakland Athletics in 2006.
- From 2007 to 2009, he coached the Chicago Cubs.
- The Athletics hired him again in 2011, but he left after that season.
Minor League and International Coaching
Perry also coached in the minor leagues. In 2012, he was the hitting coach for the AAA Pawtucket Red Sox. AAA is the highest level of minor league baseball.
In 2013, he became the hitting coach for the Erie SeaWolves. This team plays in Double-A baseball.
He also coached the USA team in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. This is an international baseball tournament.
