Tony Francisco Peña (baseball player)
Encyclopedia
Tony Francisco Peña (born March 23, 1981 in Santiago) is a Dominican
professional baseball
pitcher
in the Boston Red Sox
organization. Pena played shortstop
until the 2009 season
, when he converted to pitching.
player and former Royals manager
Tony Peña
who is currently the Yankees Bench Coach. Peña is also the nephew of Ramón Peña
, who pitched for the Detroit Tigers
in .
, Peña was signed on July 21, 1999 by the Atlanta Braves
. He made his big league debut with Atlanta on April 13, 2006. His first Major League hit came on April 21 at Washington against the Nationals
. He appeared in 40 games for the Braves, batting .227 with a home run and three RBIs in 44 at-bats.
On March 23, 2007, Peña was traded to Kansas City for pitching prospect Erik Cordier
. In Peña's first game as a Royal, he hit two triples. Peña finished , his first full season, at .267/.284/.356 with two homers and 47 RBIs. He also hit seven triples and stole five bases.
Pena lost his job as a regular starter in the middle of 2008. From June through the end of 2008, Pena mainly entered games as a defensive replacement. Pena made his major league pitching debut on July 21, performing mop-up duty in a 19–4 blowout loss to the Detroit Tigers. He pitched a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout of Iván Rodríguez
. Pena made 75 plate appearances in 46 games through the last four months of the 2008 season and was designated for assignment by the Kansas City Royals on July 16, 2009.
On December 11, 2009, Peña, signed a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants
to try to be a pitcher and was placed with the Richmond Flying Squirrels
, the Giants' AA team. On November 10, 2010, Peña became a minor league free agent
. On January 5, 2011, he signed a minor-league deal with the Boston Red Sox
.
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
in the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
organization. Pena played shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
until the 2009 season
2009 Major League Baseball season
The 2009 Major League Baseball season began on Sunday, April 5, 2009 with the Atlanta Braves defeating the 2008 World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies 4–1. The regular season ended on October 6, extended two days for a one-game playoff between the Detroit Tigers and the Minnesota Twins to...
, when he converted to pitching.
Family
Peña is the son of former Major LeagueMajor League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player and former Royals manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
Tony Peña
Tony Peña
Antonio Francisco Peña Padilla is a former professional baseball player, manager and current coach. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball for the Pirates, Cardinals, Red Sox, Indians, White Sox, and Astros. Peña was the manager of the Kansas City Royals between 2002 and 2005. He...
who is currently the Yankees Bench Coach. Peña is also the nephew of Ramón Peña
Ramón Peña
Ramón Arturo Peña Padilla is a retired relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played one season for the Detroit Tigers...
, who pitched for the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
in .
Playing career
A non-drafted free agentFree agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
, Peña was signed on July 21, 1999 by the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
. He made his big league debut with Atlanta on April 13, 2006. His first Major League hit came on April 21 at Washington against the Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
. He appeared in 40 games for the Braves, batting .227 with a home run and three RBIs in 44 at-bats.
On March 23, 2007, Peña was traded to Kansas City for pitching prospect Erik Cordier
Erik Cordier
Erik Cordier is a right-handed pitcher currently on the Atlanta Braves 40-man Roster. He has yet to make his major league debut. Cordier was acquired by the Braves in 2007 from the Kansas City Royals in a trade in which the Braves sent Tony Peña, Jr. to the Royals.-External links:...
. In Peña's first game as a Royal, he hit two triples. Peña finished , his first full season, at .267/.284/.356 with two homers and 47 RBIs. He also hit seven triples and stole five bases.
Pena lost his job as a regular starter in the middle of 2008. From June through the end of 2008, Pena mainly entered games as a defensive replacement. Pena made his major league pitching debut on July 21, performing mop-up duty in a 19–4 blowout loss to the Detroit Tigers. He pitched a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout of Iván Rodríguez
Iván Rodríguez
Iván Rodríguez Torres , nicknamed "Pudge" and "I-Rod", is a Major League Baseball catcher...
. Pena made 75 plate appearances in 46 games through the last four months of the 2008 season and was designated for assignment by the Kansas City Royals on July 16, 2009.
On December 11, 2009, Peña, signed a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
to try to be a pitcher and was placed with the Richmond Flying Squirrels
Richmond Flying Squirrels
The Richmond Flying Squirrels are a minor league baseball team in Richmond, Virginia. The team, which is a part of the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants major league club, and plays at The Diamond...
, the Giants' AA team. On November 10, 2010, Peña became a minor league free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. On January 5, 2011, he signed a minor-league deal with the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
.