Summer break rejuvenates passion for the game

A year ago it seemed nothing was going right for Vince Perkins. But this season, the 27-year-old Victoria native has his baseball career back on track. And if he keeps performing like he has of late, it might not be long before Perkins, who has Ojibway ancestry from his mother's side, is toiling in the major leagues.
Perkins is currently starring at the Triple A level with the Iowa Cubs. The Iowa squad is the top affiliate for the Chicago Cubs.
Perkins, a 6-foot-5, 240-pound relief pitcher, had appeared in 23 games for the Iowa squad as of July 12. He had a perfect 5-0 record in those matches and an impressive 2.49 earned-run average.
Perkins has primarily been called upon to enter games in either the sixth, seventh or eighth inning with the Iowa squad, which competes in the 16-team Pacific Coast League.
"That's a spot that if you're doing your job you can pick up some wins," Perkins said.
But he admits to being somewhat surprised he has an undefeated record.
"I guess I'm a little surprised," he said. "You'd think over the course of a season you'd lose once or twice."
A year ago Perkins, who has been playing minor pro ball since 2001, lost his desire to play for awhile.
Perkins attended a major league spring training camp with the Chicago White Sox in March of 2008, but he did not fare well there, in part because he was still struggling after having had elbow surgery in 2006.
Shortly after he was given his release by the White Sox, Perkins ended up suiting up for the New Jersey-based Camden Riversharks of the independent Atlantic League. But he spent less than a month there with that franchise.
"I just wasn't feeling well," he said. "I'm not sure if I wanted to keep playing. And I decided I had had enough and wanted to take the summer off."
Perkins said he was aware that his decision to leave the sport could prove costly.
"I knew one of the consequences might be I wouldn't get back," he said. "But I wanted to take the summer off. I just wasn't having a good time with it."
Perkins did take some time off. He drove with his wife from their home in Fort Myers, Florida to visit his family in Victoria.
But by later in the summer, Perkins had the urge to pitch once again. And he did so, joining the Illinois-based Joliet JackHammers, another independent franchise that competes in the Northern League.
Perkins' career started to go on the upswing again this past October when he was signed by the Chicago Cubs' organization. He started to turn some heads with some solid performances playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic.
He was also called upon to represent Canada at the World Baseball Classic in March. The Canadians were eliminated from further play after losing their first two opening-round matches.
"It was a lot of fun," said Perkins, who had also donned a national team uniform at the 2006 World Baseball Classic.
"Obviously the tournament didn't go as well as everybody wanted it to. But just to play with the best players from the country was a lot of fun."
Perkins returned to the Cubs' spring training after his national team stint. He impressed sufficiently and thought he'd be starting the season in Iowa.
But instead he was assigned to the Cubs' Double A affiliate in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Perkins stayed there for less than a month before he was promoted to Iowa.
This marks the first season Perkins has participated in the Triple A ranks, which is just one step below the major leagues.
"The game is the same and hopefully it will be when I move up to the next level," he said.
Perkins would obviously love to get summoned to the major leagues, preferably as soon as possible.
"I haven't directly heard anything," he said, adding his agent has informed him Cubs' officials have been impressed with his '09 performances. "But I know they like my arm and I'm throwing the ball well."
One day before the league's all-star break in mid-July, the Iowa Cubs were sporting a record of 46-43, good for second place in their four-squad American North division.
"We're doing alright but the team changes every week," Perkins said. "Guys are always getting called up, guys are always getting brought in and guys are always getting sent down. Triple A is tough as the team is always changing."
Perkins has been a pro ball player since 2001 when he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays' organization. He spent five seasons in the Jays' fold but never advanced past the Double A ranks.
"I like the Blue Jays, always have," Perkins said. "I wouldn't mind one day getting back and playing with them. I'd love to play with them some day. But at the same time there's 29 other teams in the major leagues and I wouldn't mind playing for any of them."