Devil Rays First Baseman - A role model for his kids
By Thomas Hanson
Sep 22, 2005, 12:48
Saying he wanted to be a role model for his children, veteran Tampa Bay Devil Rays infielder Eduardo Perez decided it was time to finally earn his college diploma. But in making his plans, the major league veteran did not head back to a college campus for the necessary coursework.
Instead, Perez is making his laptop computer his college locale.
The Devil Rays baseball player became the first major leaguer to take advantage of a new program sponsored jointly by Major League baseball and the University of Phoenix. Taking all of his necessary course work online, Perez has set about completing his degree, a process he began many years ago.
Like many major league players, Perez, now 36, was signed to a professional contract after his junior year in college. The California Angels drafted the first baseman out of Florida State University in 1991. When Perez signed on to play pro ball, he was still more than a semester shy of attaining his degree.
In finally seeking to complete his degree, Perez was able to transfer all of his credits from Florida State to the University of Phoenix. The former political science major is now at work on a management degree.
In the Devil Rays locker room, Perez can be seen with his laptop open doing his coursework. Perez devotes two hours of work four days a week, signing on whenever he can get the time.
Perez has twelve years big league experience with four teams. The first baseman is in his second season with the Devil Rays having played with two National and two American League clubs in his career.
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