Tony Pena
Extremely durable behind the plate, Tony Pena caught at least 130 games in ten different seasons. The five-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner caught 1,950 games in his 18-year career, mostly with Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Boston. He was dealt to the Cardinals for Andy Van Slyke in an unpopular trade, but St. Louis fans warmed to him whe he led the team in batting during the 1987 post-season. After his playing career, Pena became a coach and eventually managed the Royals for parts of four seasons.
Quotes From Pena
"The day I stop giving my best in every game, is the day I'll think of retiring." — Pena, from Charley Feeney's Pittsburgh column, The Sporting News, Nov. 11, 1985
Played For
Pittsburgh Pirates (1980-1986)
St. Louis Cardinals (1987-1989)
Boston Red Sox (1990-1993)
Cleveland Indians (1994-1996)
Chicago White Sox (1997)
Houston Astros (1997)
Managed
Kansas City Royals (2002-2004)
All-Time Rankings
Tony Pena ranks #34 among the Top 50 all-time at C. Rankings ⇒
Factoids
Veteran catcher Tony Pena signed as a free agent with the Cleveland Indians three times.
Pirates catcher Tony Pena's boyhood idols were Roberto Clemente and Manny Sanguillen.
Description
Pena was the first catcher in the big leagues to use the leg-extended stance behind the plate in his catching position. Instead of squatting both legs beneath him, he would extend one leg (often his right) out to the side. This enabled him to spring to his feet quickly and throw, or get to bunted balls quickly.
Where He Played
Catcher (1,950 games)
Born
Antonio Francisco (Padilla) Pena was born on June 4, 1957, in Monte Cristi
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Primary Position: C
Primary Team: PIT
Major League Debut
September 1, 1980 ... Was signed by Pirates' scout Howie Haak, for $4,000 in 1975. Pena was 18 years old.
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1980
Harold Baines
Tim Wallach
Tony Pena
Mike Scioscia
Fernando Valenzuela
Bruce Hurst
Bob Ojeda
Lee Smith
Mark Davis
Related Players
Andy Van Slyke
| Hall of Fame Voting |
| Year |
Election |
Votes |
Pct |
| 2003 |
BBWAA |
2 |
.4% |
|
Post-Season Appearances
1987 National League Championship Series
1987 World Series
1990 American League Championship Series
1995 American League Championship Series
1995 American League Divisional Series
1995 World Series
1996 American League Divisional Series
1997 National League Divisional Series
Awards and Honors
1983 NL Gold Glove
1984 NL Gold Glove
1985 NL Gold Glove
1991 AL Gold Glove
Notes
Pena's mother, Rosalia, was a star softball player in the Dominican Republic, and she helped teach Tony how to play baseball. Pena said of his mother, "She could do it all."
Injuries and Explanation for Missed Playing Time
Fractured his left thumb early in the 1987 season.
Transactions
To the Cardinals, the emergence of young outfielder Jim Lindeman during pring training in 1987, made Andy Van Slyke expendable. They dealt the popular Van Slyke, along with Mike LaValliere and Mike Dunne, to the Bucs for Pena, on April 1, 1987. In addition, after the Cardinals had failed to sign free agent catcher Lance Parrish, the catcher position was a hole for the Cards.
All-Star Selections
1982 NL
1984 NL
1985 NL
1986 NL
1989 NL
Best Strength as a Player
Defensive ability
Other stories on the Web about Tony Pena
Pena named Yankees' first-base coach ⇒
Learn More about Tony Pena
Search Amazon.com for Books about Tony Pena ⇒
Search for Tony Pena at Google ⇒
View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒
