It’s almost like it was fate.
About four years ago, when Dave Perez moved to Philly from New York, he was driving around Hunting Park with his dad.
He didn’t know anyone in Philly, but he saw a group of kids playing baseball at a park. He decided to see if he could join.
Perez wanted a chance to play the game he loved. He ended up with so much more.
“I had my bat in the car, and my dad asked if I wanted to go play,” Perez said. “I went up and introduced myself, and started playing.
“One of the guys was Jon (Ramos) who ended up becoming one of my best friends. I told him I wanted to play baseball in high school, he told me to go to Ryan. At the time, I had no idea what Ryan was. I was from New York, I just wanted to play baseball.”
When he arrived at Archbishop Ryan High School, he was a complete unknown. There was no tape on him. You couldn’t find his best at-bats in New York because he didn’t even play high school ball there.
What the Raiders got was a dynamic pitcher, one of the best infielders in the area, one of the best powerhitters in Southeastern Pennsylvania and a guy who helped the Raiders go from winless the season before he got there to the Catholic League championship game and a trip to the state playoffs this year.
It almost sounds like a Disney movie.
“I was really happy at Ryan right away, you can’t go there and not like it really,” Perez said. “I’ve made some of my best friends there. At Ryan, the coaches, all the players, to be honest, it’s a very fun team to play with. I loved it. I’ll miss every moment with them. But every student, too. Every student at Ryan, it’s very easy to go there, made me feel comfortable.
“They were nice to someone from New York. People at Ryan were like, ‘Baseball isn’t really our sport,’ so I was excited to play with the team.”
Correction: Baseball wasn’t their sport.
It makes sense that some would say that. The year before Perez got there, the Raiders were in the basement.
But thanks to Perez, a dynamic two-way player, the Raiders found a player they could build around.
Not this year, though.
Midway through the season, Perez suffered a minor muscle injury in his right arm. It wasn’t painful and it’s nothing that is expected to linger, but it did force him to shut it down for the rest of the spring.
“It didn’t hurt that bad, and I’m going to be fine long term, it was just a bad time for it to happen,” Perez said. “Luckily we have a great team and had great pitchers. It hurt because I wanted to pitch, and if I end up going to college, I’ll go as a two-way player, both (infield and pitcher). So I wanted to pitch, but I’m nearly better. I feel a lot better.”
Now Perez potentially has a massive decision in front of him, and in reality, it’s a can’t-miss prospect.
He’s accepted a scholarship to West Virginia University, where if he ends up there, he’ll star for the Mountaineers. But there’s a chance his name could be called in another direction.
“I love West Virginia, I love the coaching staff, the players are very good, I liked it when I went there, to visit,” Perez said. “I was comfortable with everyone, it was the best choice for me. I visited it. It’s probably like a four- or five-hour drive, so it’s not too far away.
“If I go, I’ll major in sports management. Honestly, I’m not sure what I want to do after baseball, but I know I’ll want to do something in sports and there’s a lot of different avenues you can go.”
If he goes to West Virginia.
When you’re a top baseball prospect, you can see your journey change in a heartbeat. That change could come in July in the form of the Major League Baseball Draft. If he’s selected, he’ll have quite the decision to make.
With Perez’s pop both on the mound and at the plate, there’s a very good chance he’ll hear his name called.
“I’m going to Georgia for a week to play, then I’ll come home and we’ll see what happens,” Perez said. “I love West Virginia, so I know I’m in a good position. I’ll just have to see what happens.”
Perez knows the work he put in is paying off. He also reminds people that even if things aren’t going your way, keep working. It worked for him, it can work for anyone.
“Honestly, I had a lot of help from my dad and my stepmom, they were there for me and always tried to help me get better any way they could,” Perez said. “My dad wasn’t a baseball player, but he loves helping me. He helped me get better.
“I wasn’t always that good. I struggled. Most people see me and think I’ve been good my whole life. But 13 or 14, I was struggling with speed, power, arm speed, everything. I was struggling a lot.
“Before my sophomore year, I just worked hard and everything clicked. I worked for this. I started pretty late, I didn’t play until I was 12. So everyone was advanced. It was difficult, but with my dad helping me and all my coaches, I got better. Playing at Ryan, I got better. I got a lot of help. I’m very thankful.”
