Westminster’s Perez does double duty

Updated: June 30, 2011 10:28PM

Ryan Perez got a taste of the big time Wednesday with his appearance in the fourth annual Double Duty Classic at U.S. Cellular Field, and in the process he likely left the scouts in attendance wanting more.

A lifelong White Sox fan, Perez looked right at home on the mound at 35th and Shields as he tossed two scoreless innings as the starting pitcher for the East All-Stars. Perez, a Hampshire resident who is going into his senior year at Westminster Christian, also showed off his ambidextrous talents by pitching with his right hand in the first inning before switching to his left for the second.

No stranger to appearing in showcase events around the country, Perez admitted that playing on the field of his favorite team was a special experience.

“This is the team that I root for, so playing here is pretty cool,” Perez said. “Everything is nice here. You don’t have to think about the mound because it is just perfect. It’s like pitching on a runway.”

Perez struck out the first batter of the game before inducing a fly out to left and a pop out to first to complete a 1-2-3 first inning. A White Sox staff member said Perez was clocked at 92 mph on the radar gun pitching right-handed in the first, which represents a personal best for velocity and was matched by only one other pitcher in the game.

A leadoff walk in the top of the second didn’t hurt Perez as he got the next three batters to pop up behind the plate, strike out and fly out to center in that order. Perez’s left arm was clocked at 89 mph and he threw a total of 34 pitches during his outing.

“I felt great with both arms,” said Perez, who found out Tuesday he’d be the starting pitcher. “I’d say I felt better than ever.”

Perez was one of 45 players to suit up for the Double Duty Classic game, which is named after former Negro League star Ted “Double Duty” Radcliffe. The event is held annually to celebrate the history and tradition of Negro League baseball in Chicago while promoting the next generation of inner-city baseball players.

The West All-Star team, which included a number of players from across the country, won the contest 4-0. Jacobs pitcher Henry Gigeous was also expected to participate, but he cancelled his appearance after playing in a different showcase earlier in the week.

In addition to Wednesday’s showcase, Perez and the rest of the invited players attended a dinner on Tuesday night and a forum Wednesday morning prior to the game.

A question-and-answer session with White Sox general manager Ken Williams, director of amateur scouting Doug Laumann and director of player development Buddy Bell was among the highlights of the forum. White Sox legend Minnie Minoso was one of several former Negro League players who attended the forum and game as special guests.

“This experience has definitely been fun, especially playing on a major league field,” Perez said. “It’s something that if you get invited to you should do.”

The Double Duty Classic was just one stop in a busy summer for Perez, who is the 2011 Courier-News Player of the Year and a two-time IHSBCA All-State honoree. The White Sox have also invited Perez to attend the Major League Baseball Breakthrough Series at the end of July in North Carolina.

© 2012 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed without permission. For more information about reprints and permissions, visit www.suntimesreprints.com. To order a reprint of this article, click here.