GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Roberto Perez used to love sleeping in during the winter. No alarm clocks. No structured routine. The catcher got his work in and prepared for each coming baseball season, but he did it on his own time and at a casual pace.
Perez's alarm buzzed at 5 a.m. each morning this past offseason. Following the events of last season, he knew something needed to change.
Six games into last season, Perez learned how quickly a young player can be tossed into the Major League fire. Cleveland catcher Yan Gomes sustained a knee injury on April 11 and Perez was suddenly the Indians' starting catcher.