CCFD's Perez Wreaks Havoc on Banana Ball Court; Ready for Team USA

SAVANNAH, Ga. — Calallen graduate Valerie Perez is a member of Corpus Christi Fire Station 7, but when she’s not protecting the Coastal Bend, she’s putting out fires on the baseball field with the firefighters.

“Three years ago, I think I picked up a baseball for the first time in 19 years,” Perez said. “A competitive baseball, that was about 10 years ago, so three years ago until now, it was just between USA Baseball opening the door to this kind of opportunity.”

A rare opportunity thanks to Savannah Banana Ball who named Perez the first manager of the firefighters’ baseball team.

“It was also firefighting that brought these two worlds together,” Perez said. “I never imagined I would end up here.”

The season began on May 30, and since then Perez has had a hit and even a trick play. While the demonstrations and celebrations are expected, the action on the field is real.

“So I started charging. I caught it like a running play,” Perez said. “I caught it. I threw it behind my back from my glove, caught it with my bare hands and threw it to the other side and got the out.”

Perez will play two more series with the Firefighters before joining the U.S. national team on July 16 for the Women’s Baseball World Cup. A chance to win a gold medal.

“Being here and on a baseball field every day, I’ve been able to train in a much more focused way for the States, so in July I’m motivated and ready to go,” Perez said.

An opportunity that would not be possible without his family and the Corpus Christi Fire Department.

“The guys at Station 7 have been awesome. We have a dispatch call. One of our skits, and I specifically wrote the dispatch message. The first dispatch device is ladder 7.”

Valerie Perez with the Fire Department Baseball Team and her family

“Between my wife taking care of things at home and the guys taking care of things at the station for CCFD, without that, I would have had to say no,” Perez said.

Perez will lead the Firefighters against the Savannah Bananas July 5-7 in Buffalo, New York. Then July 13 in Washington, D.C.