Wily Mo Pena

Quotes About Pena
"His power is unbelievable. He's like a 'Little Papi,' and I know that when his time comes, he will be a good player. Nobody hits the ball like Mo - nobody." — David Ortiz

Quotes From Pena
"When they signed me, the only thing I knew how to do was play baseball. I am still growing up as man and a player. When I came in, I was a child. At times, I still see myself as a child, but when I put on the uniform, I am a man. That's my thing, what I respect and how I want to be respected." — quoted in April of 2006

Played For
Cincinnati Reds (2002-2005)

Minor League Experience
From an article by Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com (4/6/2006): "[Pena] was signed to a Major League contract by the Yankees at the age of 17 in 1998 in a move that later proved to be a blessing and a curse. The good part is that the money helped the Penas out of poverty. The not-so-good part of the big-money deal was that it rushed his development, exposing him to Major League competition before he was ready. At the age of 19 and after only three Minor League seasons, he was traded from the Yankees to Cincinnati as part of a deal that sent Drew Henson to New York in 2001. He made his big-league debut with the Reds in 2002..."

Born
Wily Mo Pena was born on January 23, 1982, in Laguna Salada

Batted:  Right
Threw:  Right

Primary Position:  LF

Primary Team:  CIN

College:  None

Major League Debut
September 10, 2002

Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 2002
Carl Crawford
Eric Hinske
Hank Blalock
Kevin Mench
Austin Kearns
Wily Mo Pena
Mark Prior
Jake Peavy
Brad Lidge

Nicknames
Little Papi

Red Sox slugger David Ortiz, known as "Big Papi," hung the nickname "Little Papi" on Pena, after Willy Mo was acquired by Boston in 2006.

Family Tree
His brother, Hannsel, was in the Reds minorleague system in 2006.

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