"Melido joins his older brother Pascual following the deal that sent Steve Sax to the White Sox. Horrible as a starter, he went to middle relief and was a dominating force. He finished 8-7 with a 3.12 ERA and one save after posting a 1-4 record and 4.65 ERA in eight starts.
He has a devastating split-finger pitch and is especially tough when he's throwing his fastball for strikes. In 1990 he had a rain-shortened no-hitter against the Yankees stricken from the record books.
Born in San Cristobal, Dominican Republic, the Royals signed Perez as a free agent in July 1983."
-Tony DeMarco and Tom Pedulla, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1992 Edition
"Melido Perez brings to the Yankees all the qualities that can enhance a major league staff; he's young, and has the versatility to work as either a starter or reliever. The 26-year-old right-hander, acquired from the White Sox in a multi-player deal, [has] a competitive nature conducive to winning. Armed with an above-average fastball, a quality slider and a forkball for his out pitch, Melido is a key player in the Yankees' grand scheme.
'He has the arm and the stuff to do anything in baseball. He could get 20 wins or save 35 games if he ever finds his consistency,' says Sammy Ellis, the Chicago Cubs' pitching coach and former coach with the White Sox.
Last season Perez went 8-7 with a 3.12 ERA in 49 games. Yankee fans may well remember the younger Perez pitching a six-inning no-hitter at the Stadium in 1990 as a member of the White Sox. Let's hope we see it in Pinstripes."
-The New York Yankees Official 1992 Yearbook
"Acquired by the Yankees in January 1992 along with pitchers Domingo Jean and Bob Wickman in exchange for second baseman Steve Sax plus cash, Melido joins his brother Pascual as the fifth set of brothers to play for the Yankees in the same season, and the second to pitch for the Yankees (Phil and Joe Niekro, 1985). The others were Matty and Felipe Alou (1973), Billy and Bobby Shantz (1960) and Homer and Tommy Thompson (1912).
Melido had an outstanding season in 1991 in his fourth full year in the majors. He began the season as a starter making eight starts and posting a 1-4 record with a 4.82 ERA. He was converted to a reliever, making his first career bullpen appearance on May 29 against California, after he had started 109 straight games.
He recorded a team best 20.1 consecutive innings scoreless streak from May 29-June 20. On June 15, he hurled the club's longest relief outing of the season against Kansas City when he pitched 7.2 scoreless innings. He recorded his first career save on September 6 at Texas (4.0 IP, 1 ER) in an 11-6 victory.
As a reliever Melido was 7-2 with a 2.22 ERA in 89 relief innings and tied for the club lead for wins by a reliever. He pitched at least 3.0 innings in 12 of his 41 relief appearances. He was 4-1 in one-run decisions and also 4-1 in extra-inning contests.
Melido excelled on the road, posting a 6-4 record with a 2.70 ERA. Left-handed hitters batted only .202 (45-for-223) against him, while right-handed hitters hit .243 (66-for-272).
He signed a one-year contract on February 10, 1992, avoiding arbitration.
In 1990 Perez set career highs in virtually every career category while going 13-14. He led the White Sox and was second in the American League with 35 starts and his three shutouts tied for third in the league. The starts were a career best as were his 161 strikeouts (2nd on the club), and his 197 innings pitched tied for his most in one season. Opponents batted only .241 against Perez, second best among Sox starters.
He became the 16th man in White Sox history to toss a no-hitter, a rain-shortened effort on July 12 at Yankee Stadium. He struck out nine and walked four. Pascual and Melido became the second set of brothers to pitch no-hitters, the other being Ken Forsch (1979) and Bob Forsch (1978 & 1983). It was the first no-hitter for Chicago since the one hurled by Joe Cowley on September 19, 1986.
Melido's two other shutouts came on June 6 against Seattle and on September 17 against Oakland. He struck out a season high 10 batters on May 1 against Texas and on August 27 against Chicago.
Melido was signed by the Kansas City Royals as a free agent on July 22, 1983. His first professional season was spent at Charleston of the South Atlantic League in 1984 where he was 5-7 in 15 starts (16 G).
He spent the entire 1985 season with Eugene of the Northwest League compiling a 6-7 mark. He led the league in innings pitched (101.0) and was fourth in the league with 88 strikeouts. With Class-A Burlington in 1986, Perez posted a 10-12 record and a 3.70 ERA. He struck out a team leading 153 batters in 170.1 innings and led the Midwest League with 13 complete games (23 GS).
Perez started the 1987 season at Fort Meyers where he posted a 4-3 record and a 2.38 ERA. He was promoted to Memphis where he continued his success going 8-5 with a 3.53 ERA. Perez combined to strike out 177 while walking just 27 in 198.0 innings pitched.
He was called up to Kansas City when rosters expanded on September 1. He made his major league debut on September 4 at Chicago, earning the win (7.0 IP, 0 ER) in a 6-2 KC victory. He made three starts overall and was 1-1. He was acquired by the White Sox from the Royals in December 1987 along with pitchers John Davis, Chuck Mount and Greg Hibbard in exchange for pitcher Floyd Bannister and infielder Dave Cochrane.
In 1988 Melido established himself as a quality major league pitcher in his first full season in the bigs. He finished sixth in the American League Rookie of the Year balloting on the strength of a 10-8 record and 3.79 ERA. Melido was the first ChiSox rookie to win 10 or more games since Britt Burns and Richard Dotson in 1980. His 32 starts, 197.0 innings and 138 strikeouts led the club.
His first career complete game came on May 13 against Toronto in a 4-1 Chicago win. Melido was perfect in July, posting a 4-0 record and 3.86 ERA. He saved his best for last, blanking his former Royal teammates on October 1 at Kansas City, allowing two hits and striking 10 in a 3-0 White Sox victory.
Melido attended San Gregorio de Nigua High School in the Dominican Republic."
-1992 New York Yankees Information Guide
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