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Atanacio Perez
Cincinnati Reds
Third Base
Born: May 14, 1942, Camaguey, Cuba
Signed: Signed by the Cincinnati Reds as an amateur free agent, March 12, 1960
Major League Teams: Cincinnati Reds 1964-76; Montreal Expos 1977-79; Boston Red Sox 1980-82; Philadelphia Phillies 1983; Cincinnati Reds 1984-86
World Series Appearances: Cincinnati Reds 1970, 1972, 1975-76; Philadelphia Phillies 1983
As a Manager: Cincinnati Reds 1993; Florida Marlins 2001
Hall of Fame Induction: 2000
As a Manager: Cincinnati Reds 1993; Florida Marlins 2001
Hall of Fame Induction: 2000
As the first baseman for the Big Red Machine in the mid-1970s, and often cited as the team's leader, Tony Perez helped the Reds win back-to-back World Championships in 1975 and 1976. Perez drove in over 100 runs in seven seasons between 1967 and 1980, and drove in at least 90 runs between 1967 and 1977. He was a seven-time All-Star and the MVP of the 1967 game due to his game-winning home run in the 15th inning off Catfish Hunter (#235). Nicknamed "Big Dog" or "Doggie," Perez helped propel Cincinnati to its first of four World Series throughout the 1970s with a career year in 1970. He batted .317 that season with 40 home runs and 129 RBIs, with all three marks career bests. His RBI tally of 954 in the 1970s was second for the decade behind his teammate Johnny Bench (#95).
Perez was dealt to Montreal following the 1976 season, and he continued his steady hitting with the Expos and later the Red Sox between 1977 and 1982. In 1983, he was reunited with his Big Red Machine teammates Pete Rose (#120) and Joe Morgan (#35), as all three helped the Phillies reach the World Series. He spent the final three seasons of his playing career back in Cincinnati, playing for player-manager Rose and serving mainly as a successful pinch-hitter. Perez retired with a lifetime .279 average, 2,732 hits, 505 doubles, 379 home runs and 1,652 RBIs.
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| From the 1983 Phillies Yearbook |
Some text for this post originally appeared on my 1965 Topps blog.
The Card / Reds Team Set / Accuracy Index +5
1969 Season
Perez enjoyed his third straight All-Star season, and his third straight season as the everyday third baseman for the Reds. In 160 games, he batted .294 with 37 home runs and 122 RBIs, finishing 10th in the league MVP voting. He was among all league leaders in home runs (4th), RBIs (3rd), run (7th with 103), hits (6th with 185), doubles (7th with 31), and led the league with 32 errors committed. Perez would abandon third base for good beginning with the 1972 season.
Phillies Career
Perez was released by the Red Sox on November 1, 1982, and signed with the Phillies on January 31, 1983. Rose had been with the club since 1979, helping the team win its first World Championship in 1980, and Morgan had been acquired from the Giants in mid-December 1982. With the three former teammates reunited, and an aging core of veterans starting for the Phillies, the 1983 squad was dubbed the Wheeze Kids, playing off the Whiz Kids nickname for the 1950 team. Perez, now 41 years old, was with the Phillies for only the one season, appearing in 91 games and batting .241 with six home runs and 43 RBIs.
Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card: 1965 Topps #581
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (25): 1965-86, 1993, 2002, 2010
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2025 Topps Heritage Undefeated #U-2
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards: 1,167 in the Beckett online database as of 2/4/26.
Sources:
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia
Building the Set / Card #627
September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (Niagara Sports Cards)
On Sunday morning, September 21st, I made the hour-long drive to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania for the latest installment of the Philadelphia Sports Card & Memorabilia Show, known to its friends as The Philly Show. The show has a legitimate official sponsor (eBay) and the advertisement for the event notes the show is in its 50th year. I hadn't attended a baseball card show since the last Philly Show in December, and I was flying solo to this one as our oldest son is in his first month of college at Villanova. I posted a full summary of the show over at The Phillies Room.
I made stops at six tables at the show, all yielding needed cards for our 1969 Topps set, and I left the show with just 16 more cards to go for my version of a complete set. My third stop was a smaller table with the impossible to pass up offer of 1969 Topps commons that were only $1, unless marked. The binder was right at the end of the table, making it an even easier sell. The prices on some of the cards were stunningly low, so I was even more surprised when the dealer, Niagara Sports Cards, gave me an even deeper discount upon tallying up my total.
I found 12 cards needed from Niagara Sports Cards, and this was the fifth of those 12, and the 68th of 91 cards for the set added overall on the day. The card was marked at $5, but I paid a little under $4 for it after the bulk dealer discount was applied.
The Card / Reds Team Set / Accuracy Index +5
Perez's card uses a similar pose as seen on his 1968 Topps card, but the two photos were taken at two different ballparks. His heroics in the 1967 All-Star Game and his team-leading triple and RBI totals are mentioned on the back of the card.
Accuracy Index: Perez scores a +5.
1969 Season
Perez enjoyed his third straight All-Star season, and his third straight season as the everyday third baseman for the Reds. In 160 games, he batted .294 with 37 home runs and 122 RBIs, finishing 10th in the league MVP voting. He was among all league leaders in home runs (4th), RBIs (3rd), run (7th with 103), hits (6th with 185), doubles (7th with 31), and led the league with 32 errors committed. Perez would abandon third base for good beginning with the 1972 season.
Perez was released by the Red Sox on November 1, 1982, and signed with the Phillies on January 31, 1983. Rose had been with the club since 1979, helping the team win its first World Championship in 1980, and Morgan had been acquired from the Giants in mid-December 1982. With the three former teammates reunited, and an aging core of veterans starting for the Phillies, the 1983 squad was dubbed the Wheeze Kids, playing off the Whiz Kids nickname for the 1950 team. Perez, now 41 years old, was with the Phillies for only the one season, appearing in 91 games and batting .241 with six home runs and 43 RBIs.
He was the club's opening day first baseman, with Rose moving temporarily to right field. Perez started 63 games in total at first base, and also made two starts at first during the 1983 World Series against the Orioles. Overall he batted .273 (3 for 11) in the postseason, as the Phillies fell in five games. Coming full circle, he was sold to the Reds on December 6, 1983.
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First Mainstream Card: 1965 Topps #581
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (25): 1965-86, 1993, 2002, 2010
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2025 Topps Heritage Undefeated #U-2
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards: 1,167 in the Beckett online database as of 2/4/26.
Sources:
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia
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