Did you know this neat secret about the Reds' Tony Perez statue?
· Yahoo Sports
Even diehard fans might not know this cool secret about one of the Cincinnati Reds' statues outside Great American Ball Park.
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The Reds' gallery of bronze player statues features an elite lineup of all-time greats. From Pete Rose to Joe Nuxhall to Joe Morgan and to Johnny Bench, each statue boasts exceptional detail that helps exhibit the player's greatness and legacy.
Tony Perez's statue, however, might feature the most unique detail of all, and it's very easy to miss.
Unveiled in 2015, Perez's statue captures the moment when the Reds first baseman hit a history-changing home run during Game 7 of the 1975 World Series against the Boston Red Sox. The two-run blast over the Green Monster at Fenway Park helped the Reds rally from behind to a 4-3 victory.
The statue's hidden detail, or "Easter egg," isn't found anywhere on the actual statue though. For that, you have to turn around and look at the top of the building located directly across Joe Nuxhall Way.
You might have to squint your eyes, but if you look closely enough, you'll notice a bronze-colored baseball mounted on top of the roof of the Current at The Banks apartment building.
The ball is meant to simulate Perez's home run ball sailing over the Green Monster, and it was all the idea of Tom Tsuchiya, the local artist and mastermind behind all of the Reds' statues.
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Tsuchiya thought "it'd be really cool" to emphasize Perez's major role in a pivotal moment in Reds history by including this hidden detail.
"It is kind of an Easter egg and I did that for that reason," Tsuchiya said. "Some people know about it, but the majority of people have no idea, and that's also kind of the fun part."
Tsuchiya also noted the replica ball on the building isn't made of the same material as the actual statue. Instead, he said it's made out of a foam that is coated in plastic. This was done so that it doesn't become a danger in the event that it detaches and falls on a bystander below.
The hidden ball is one of Tsuchiya's favorite features on all of the statues he's sculpted.
He said another one of his favorites is found on the butt of the Pete Rose statue. In this case, he carved a figure of Rosie Red onto Rose's backside as a tribute to the Rosie Reds, whose members helped Tsuchiya create the statue.
So next time you find yourself at Crosley Terrace outside Greater American Ball Park, be sure to look out for Perez's home run ball, as well as other hidden details on any of the other statues.
Who is Tony Perez?
The Cuban-born Perez, now in his mid 80s, played third and first base for the Cincinnati Reds from 1964 to 1976, and again from 1984 to 1986. He was a seven-time All-Star and was an integral part of the "Big Red Machine," which won back-to-back World Series in 1975 and 1976.
He also managed the Reds for 44 games in 1993. In 2000, Perez was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: The hidden detail in the statue of Cincinnati Reds legend Tony Perez