Chris Perez Rips Cleveland Fans, Says Free Agents Don’t Want To Sign Because Of Lack Of Support
May 19, 2012 By Brendan 1 Comment
As is his wont, Chris Perez shot off in the locker room after the Indians 2-0 win over the Marlins on Saturday. Only this time he wasn’t getting into tussles on Twitter or with the opponents. Perez ripped the Cleveland fans, saying they don’t show up and the lack of support has hurt the organization’s pursuit of free agents. He specifically cited the club’s attempt to sign Carlos Beltran this offseason, saying the low attendance and support were a factor in Beltran choosing the Cardinals over the Tribe.
The Elyria Chronicle-Telegram’s Chris Assenheimer tweeted Perez’s comments from the clubhouse after the game:
Perez rips fans for not showing up and for booing him during his last outing two days ago against Mariners.
— Chris Assenheimer (@CAwesomeheimer) May 19, 2012
He went into specifics, and as noted above, said the lack of support hurts the club in free agency:
Perez says one of the reasons free agents don’t want to sign with Cleveland is because of lack of fan support.
— Chris Assenheimer (@CAwesomeheimer) May 19, 2012
Perez is a pretty prideful, if not stupid, guy so it will be interesting to see where he goes from here and if there’s any attempt to walk this back.