Tony Pena
From BR Bullpen
Note: This page links to Tony Pena, the All-Star catcher and manager. For his son, a shortstop who made his big league debut in 2006, click here. Or for the unrelated relief pitcher Tony Pena who also made his debut in 2006, click here.
Antonio Francisco Pena Padilla
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 0", Weight 181 lb.
- Debut September 1, 1980
- Final Game September 28, 1997
- Born June 4, 1957 in Monte Cristi, D.R.
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[edit] Biographical Information
Tony Pena was known for his unique style of catching. He would sit on the ground with one knee tucked to the side while his other leg was straight out to the other side. He could even throw out would-be base stealers from this position with an incredibly strong arm. He ended his career with 1,945 games behind the plate, fourth most of all catchers.
After his career ended, he joined the Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros as a minor league manager, guiding the 1998 AZL White Sox and the 1999-2001 New Orleans Zephyrs. After spending a litte more than a month as Astros bench coach, he became manager of the Kansas City Royals in May 2002. He was widely praised for leading the Royals to a rare winning season in 2003, winning the American League Manager of the Year Award, but the club sunk back into mediocrity in 2004. He left the Royals in frustration early in 2005, leaving the team scrambling to find a replacement, and joined the New York Yankees as a coach in 2006. He was one of three men on the short list to replace Joe Torre as Yankees manager after the 2007 season, along with Don Mattingly and Joe Girardi, but the job went to Girardi and Pena returned to coaching.
Pena's son Tony reached the majors in 2006 with the Atlanta Braves and became the Royals' starting shortstop in 2007. Pena's brother Ramon Pena also played briefly for the Detroit Tigers in 1989.
[edit] Berman Nickname
Tony "Jala" Pena
[edit] Notable Achievements
- 1981 Topps All-Star Rookie Team
- 5-time NL All-Star (1982, 1984-1986 & 1989)
- 4-time Gold Glove Winner (1983-1985/NL & 1991/AL)
- AL Manager of the Year Award (2003)
| Preceded by John Mizerock | Kansas City Royals Manager 2002-2005 | Succeeded by Bob Schaefer |
[edit] Year-By-Year Managerial Record
| Year | Team | League | Record | Finish | Organization | Playoffs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | AZL White Sox | Arizona League | 20-34 | 8th | Chicago White Sox | none | |
| 1999 | New Orleans Zephyrs | International League | 55-96 | 16th | Houston Astros | ||
| 2000 | New Orleans Zephyrs | International League | 68-74 | 10th | Houston Astros | ||
| 2001 | New Orleans Zephyrs | International League | 82-57 | 2nd | Houston Astros | League Co-Champs | |
| 2002 | Kansas City Royals | American League | 49-77 | 4th | Kansas City Royals | replaced John Mizerock (5-8) on May 15 | |
| 2003 | Kansas City Royals | American League | 83-79 | 3rd | Kansas City Royals | ||
| 2004 | Kansas City Royals | American League | 58-104 | 5th | Kansas City Royals | ||
| 2005 | Kansas City Royals | American League | 8-25 | -- | Kansas City Royals | replaced by Bob Schaefer on May 11 |
