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Brad Penny News & Rumors

Japanese team releases Brad Penny after just one start
May 8
CBSSports.com
 
"Brad Penny is looking for work again, as the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Japan's Pacific League released the 33-year-old right-hander, the team announced on Tuesday (via YakyuBaka.com). Penny signed what was reportedly the largest deal ever to an American pitcher in his first year in Japan, worth $4 million plus another $3.5 million in performance bonuses. There was an additional $4.5 mutual option if he pitched 150 innings or won 12 games."
Could Brad Penny be the Tigers' No. 5 starter again?
January 22
Detroit News
 
"Enough's enough for a while, let's change the topic. This isn't about replacing Victor Martinez. It's about replacing Brad Penny — as in who is going to do it? Who the heck is going to be the Tigers' fifth starter? There's been a lot of talk this week, and rightly so, about how to fill the void created by what appears to be a season-ending injury to Martinez — even before the season begins. His replacement could be anyone from Yoenis Cespedes to Johnny Damon — from Juan Pierre to Vladimir Guerrero. Even with Carlos Pena going back to Tampa Bay, and Prince Fielder "not being a good fit," as general manager Dave Dombrowski said during the annual winter caravan, there are plenty of names for"
Detroit 10, Baltimore 6: Brad Penny makes case for postseason rotation
September 26
Detroit Free Press
 
"Sunday afternoon's 10-6 Tigers victory before a sellout crowd of 41,051 was especially important to Brad Penny. It also helped rookie Al Alburquerque's bid for a place on the playoff roster, and it kept the Tigers in the hunt with Texas for home-field advantage in the first round. The Tigers open the final three-game series tonight at Comerica Park against Cleveland, for months their chief obstacle to the Central Division title. Considered the fifth starter, Penny, a veteran right-hander, was making a bid to be on the playoff roster, probably as a long reliever, knowing manager Jim Leyland intends to trim his rotation to four. Penny was good through four scoreless innings, but the game"
Brad Penny, Tigers hammered by rising Royals
September 21
Detroit News
 
"Don't go by the standings. If someone asks you who's the second-best team in the American League Central, tell them the Tigers have one more game against them. And tell them this as well: It's a good thing the Tigers didn't encounter anywhere near the trouble down the stretch with the Indians, White Sox and Twins as they did with the Royals. If they had? If they had, well, they probably wouldn't have won the American League Central — as early as they did. With six runs in the fourth off Brad Penny (10-11) en route to a 10-2 victory, the Royals downed the Tigers for the fourth time in the last six games between the two teams. Four of six? That's been difficult to do against the Tigers who"
Detroit 8, Minnesota 4: Quicker pace by Tigers' Brad Penny yields mixed results
September 10
Detroit Free Press
 
"Tigers manager Jim Leyland had a friendly suggestion for starting pitcher Brad Penny. Speed it up a little. It has become something of a joke among Tigers observers that you can take a bathroom break and get back to the sofa between Penny's pitches, but Leyland was serious recently at Cleveland that a quicker pace might help Penny reverse his fortunes. The results were mixed Friday night in the first game of the three-game series against the woeful Twins. The Tigers won, 8-4, for their seventh straight victory, but Penny allowed four runs, four hits and a walk in a 44-pitch first inning. Leyland made the suggestion for two reasons: It might help Penny's performance, and it keeps fielders"
Penny, Martinez have very public disagreement in Tigers' loss
July 29
Detroit News
 
"What was that all about? Did Brad Penny and catcher Victor Martinez get into an argument on the mound during the Tigers' 12-7 loss to the Angels on Thursday? You bet they did. It was about the timing of signs from Martinez to Penny with a runner on second. That's what Penny said, anyway. Not wanting to discuss it, Martinez said, "Next question." "He hadn't caught me in a while and it had nothing to do with pitch selection or anything like that," said Penny. "With a runner on second, I like to come set and take the signs. That way the hitter can't look at second base for anything. I've pitched my whole career that way, and he didn't want me to do it. But there's no other way for me. "I"
Tigers P Brad Penny's not getting run support
July 6
Detroit Free Press
 
"Brad Penny hasn't won in a month, but he's not pitching poorly. He's pitching as well as the Tigers could have hoped when they signed him to a one-year, $3-million deal for this season. If Penny had received better run support over the last month, he could have as many as nine wins, and baseball journalists around the country would be talking about what a tremendous move the Tigers made in signing him as a free agent. Instead, he's stuck with a 5-6 record that obscures the fine work he has been doing. He provides another example of how a won-lost record can be one of the most deceptive statistics about a starting pitcher."
Pregame Sparky tribute inspires Brad Penny
June 27
Detroit News
 
"Brad Penny, making his 300th career start Sunday, admitted he was moved by the pregame tribute to Sparky Anderson. He watched the video tribute intently from the dugout. "That was real nice," said Penny, who pitched six inning of shutout baseball Sunday before getting touched for two runs in the seventh. "There is a great fan base here. It's way better than I expected when I signed. The fans are so passionate and it makes it a lot of fun. "I watched that (video presentation) about Sparky before the game and what he said about the children he'd go to see (at Children's Hospital) and how this is a baseball game and those are human beings and real life - that was inspiring." It may also"
Tigers pitcher Brad Penny grumpy on mound, but likeable off it
May 16
Detroit News
 
"Sift through notes on Tigers pitcher Brad Penny, extracted from a half-hour chat, and it's as if a river levee broke. You wonder if this informational flood is the product of one player or seven guys combined. Seven very fortunate, disciplined, accomplished 32-year-old men, to be precise. In what passes for a nutshell summary, Penny: Will marry "Dancing with the Stars" beauty Karina Smirnoff in October; Fishes and hunts about as often as he breathes; Owns a 2,100-acre ranch in Oklahoma, favored by big elk; Whitetail deer with antlers the size of tree limbs frequent his 800-acre spread in Iowa; Reads books as if the neighborhood library is about to close; Has polished off 10 since"
Brad Penny's gem keeps Tigers rolling at 40-game mark
May 15
Detroit News
 
"Be honest about this. When they were 12-17, did you ever think the Tigers would be over .500 at the 40-game mark — let alone 22-18? If your answer is no, you're probably being honest. It has required one of their best stretches in years, but the Tigers have done it: They're at 40 games not just thinking they're a good team, but looking like one. Their 3-0 victory over the Royals on Saturday behind three runs in the first, Brad Penny's eight shutout innings and outstanding defense from everyone but Paws was their seventh win in a row. Not only that, but it was the Tigers' 10th victory in their last 11 games (since that silent bus ride home from Cleveland) — their best such stretch since"
Brad Penny shines as Tigers win 7th straight
May 15
Detroit Free Press
 
"Two weeks ago today, the Tigers lost their sixth straight, and third baseman Brandon Inge called a post-game clubhouse meeting. "This is going to be a turning point," Inge said later that day. "You watch." Indeed, there has been plenty to watch since then. Today against Kansas City, as the Tigers won their seventh straight and improved to 10-2 since the meeting, what there really was to watch was the defense. Along with Brad Penny's pitching, the defense made three first-inning runs stand up and allowed the Tigers to blank the league's highest-scoring team, 3-0. In the second inning, Inge leaned into the stands to snare a foul. In the fourth, after a one-out double, right fielder Casper"
Brad Penny makes the most of his repertoire
May 9
Detroit Free Press
 
"Tigers pitcher Brad Penny threw 93 m.p.h. fastballs Sunday afternoon at the Rogers Centre. He said he was sure the Blue Jays' hitters thought they were change-ups. Such is life when you follow a no-hitter, and a pitcher who casually threw 101 m.p.h. to the last batter he faced. No doubt Justin Verlander's otherworldly stuff can make most pitchers feel like they are throwing slow-pitch. Fortunately, there are many ways to get hitters out. Against Toronto on Sunday, Penny induced a few outs of his own. Quietly. He used a nasty sinker and relied on the defenders behind him to scoop up grounders and throw them to first."
Brad Penny outduels CC Sabathia, Yankees make costly mistakes on basepaths in 4-2 defeat
May 4
New York Daily News
 
"If Joe Girardi's expression following Tuesday night's 4-2 loss to the Tigers didn't tell you everything you needed to know, he made sure to verbalize his frustration. The Yankees made three outs on the basepaths, one of which was an inexcusable error in judgment by Jorge Posada, costing the Bombers a chance to get back in the game. "You know that during the course of the season they're going to happen from time to time, but you still don't like them," Girardi said of the sloppy loss. "To make mental errors, we can't afford to do that." Posada was thrown out trying to steal second base with two outs in the sixth, the Yankees trailing, 4-1, and Andruw Jones at the plate with a 1-2 count. "I"
Penny allows one hit in seven innings, Tigers cruise to victory
April 24
Michigan Live
 
"Jim Leyland said it was a hit. Brandon Inge was mad at himself. Brad Penny didn't seem to care. Penny gave up just one hit -- albeit a slightly controversial one -- while pitching seven shutout innings Saturday as the Detroit Tigers rolled to a 9-0 victory against the Chicago White Sox. Penny had a no-hitter with one out in the sixth inning when White Sox third baseman Brent Morel hit a hard grounder to the third-base side of Inge. Inge made a nice stab while ranging to his right, but his throw to first skipped in the dirt and pulled Miguel Cabrera off the bag. Cabrera could not field the throw cleanly, and Morel was safe. An on-target throw by Inge would have been in time to get Morel,"
Tigers' Brad Penny pitches 1-hitter
April 24
Detroit Free Press
 
"Brad Penny made his first victory as a Tiger a memorable one Saturday before a Comerica Park crowd of 35,227. The veteran right-hander no-hit the Chicago White Sox through 5 1/3 innings before Brent Morel beat out a bad throw from Brandon Inge to first baseman Miguel Cabrera on a hard grounder to third for a single. The fans booed when official scorer Ron Kleinfelter ruled the play a base hit, wanting an error on Inge instead in the Tigers' 9-0 victory. "I made the right call. I stand by it," Kleinfelter said after the game. Tigers manager Jim Leyland agreed. "It was a hit," he said. "I really give the guy credit because a lot of times they wait until the inning's over to see what happens."
No no-hitter, but Brad Penny stifles White Sox
April 24
Detroit News
 
"Brad Penny struggled in his first four starts this season. But he picked an ideal time to have his best outing as a Tigers starter. Penny pitched a gem, allowing one hit through seven innings, and led the Tigers to a 9-0 win over the White Sox on Saturday afternoon at Comerica Park. The win put the Tigers over .500 (11-10) for the first time this season and was their eighth straight victory over their division rival, dating to Sept. 7, 2010. Before a national television audience on Fox - and 35,227 fans in attendance - Penny shut down the White Sox and didn't allow a hit until Brent Morel reached on a chopper to Brandon Inge behind third base. Inge's throw to first was off target and"
Tigers' Brad Penny starts today against manager who gave him his start
April 7
Detroit Free Press
 
"When the Orioles introduced their starting lineup at their home opener Monday, fans saved the loudest ovation for manager Buck Showalter. For Tigers pitcher Brad Penny, that didn't come as a surprise. Penny played for Showalter and Orioles pitching coach Mark Connor when he was drafted in the fifth round out of high school by the expansion Arizona Diamondbacks in 1996 -- the team didn't begin play for two more seasons -- and said those two deserve as much credit as anyone for molding him into the pitcher he is today. "They taught me baseball," Penny said. "In high school you don't worry about holding runners on, you don't worry about anything. So for me, transitioning to pro ball, those"
If Brad Penny's bad days keep coming back, it will hurt the Tigers
April 3
Detroit Free Press
 columnist Michael Rosenberg
"There are 1,000 ways to measure performance in baseball these days, and another 1,000 ways to measure each of those 1,000 ways. We can talk about on-base percentage and BABIP and walk rate and ERA-plus and many more complicated numbers, some of which I actually understand. But in 2011, as in 1971 and 1931, so much of the game is as simple as this: Your starting pitcher has to give you a chance to win. And Saturday afternoon at Yankee Stadium, Brad Penny did not. I don't want to say Penny was awful. I mean, it's true. I just don't want to say it because it's not very nice. So let's take a look at the evidence that he was ... um ... not at his best. Penny gave up eight runs and didn't make"
New cast members -- Martinez, Benoit, Penny -- bring high hopes
March 31
Detroit News
 
"They're far from Hollywood in mind, spirit and actual distance, but if the Tigers end up winning their division, it could be their central casting that does it. General manager Dave Dombrowski was up front from the start after last year about the Tigers' approach. They were going to be aggressive in pursuing players they thought could help them."
New cast members -- Martinez, Benoit, Penney -- bring high hopes
March 30
Detroit News
 
"They're far from Hollywood in mind, spirit and actual distance, but if the Tigers end up winning their division, it could be their central casting that does it. General manager Dave Dombrowski was up front from the start after last year about the Tigers' approach. They were going to be aggressive in pursuing players they thought could help them. And whether it was retaining their own, or signing other free agents, they were. No offseason is ever the same. Sometimes the cast gets tweaked. Sometimes it gets overhauled. Sometimes in between. The Tigers head into the 2011 season after a winter in between. The result is they look different, yet familiar. They've changed, selectively."
Brad Penny has sharp tuneup in win over Houston Astros
March 28
Michigan Live
 
"Detroit Tigers starter Brad Penny allowed two runs on seven hits in six innings Sunday. The 8-4 win over the Houston Astros was his final tuneup before making a regular season start Saturday against the Yankees in New York. "That was a very meaningful spring training outing," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "He was working on some splits (split-finger fastballs) and things. Overall, very good." Penny was 2-1 with a 3.91 ERA in six starts. He struck out 15 and walked eight in 25 1/3 innings. "But I had one of the best years I ever had after I struggled and couldn't get anyone out in spring training," said Penny, who won 16 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers in both 2006 and 2007. All he"
Tigers, Penny roll past Astros
March 28
Detroit News
 
"Add to the list of Tigers starters who act as if they're ready for the real games to begin the name of right-hander Brad Penny. He pitched six innings Sunday, holding the Houston Astros to a pair of runs as the Tigers won, 8-4, at Osceola County Stadium. Penny had only one rough inning, the second, when he allowed four of his seven hits and both Astros runs. He struck out four batters Sunday and walked two. The Tigers made things comfortable for Penny and a pair of relievers as they racked up 13 hits, including Miguel Cabrera's fourth home run of the season. Cabrera also had a pair of singles on a day when he had four RBIs. Victor Martinez added a double, single, and a sacrifice fly,"
Phil Coke, Brad Penny the options to start Tigers' second game of season
March 17
Detroit News
 
"The roster cuts have begun. Some decisions are "going down to the wire," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. But one isn't. The Tigers will soon announce the order of their rotation for the start of the season - and which pitcher will miss a turn. The fact that Phil Coke on Wednesday followed Tuesday's start by Justin Verlander doesn't automatically mean Coke will start the second game in New York on April 2. He's in the running to do so, because it won't be Max Scherzer, who'll pitch the home opener at Comerica Park."
Brad Penny solid in start for Tigers
March 13
Detroit Free Press
 
"Brad Penny pitched five solid innings and pinch-hitter Ryan Strieby had a two-out single in the eighth, leading the Detroit Tigers to a 4-3 win over a Toronto Blue Jays split squad today. Strieby's hit went off third baseman John Tolisano's glove and scored Ramon Santiago, who led off the inning with a triple just past diving right fielder Moises Sierra."
Brad Penny has another strong outing
March 8
Detroit Free Press
 
"Right-hander Brad Penny pitched 3 1/3 innings Monday in the Tigers' 2-1 win over the New York Mets. He gave up three hits. He allowed no runs or walks. Of his 61 pitches, 39 were strikes, and many were change-ups. "Right now, I'm just trying to pitch," Penny said, "to get work in and throw strikes." Penny, who signed a one-year free-agent deal for $3 million, has struggled at times with injuries. Last season, he suffered an abdominal muscle injury in late May and spent the rest of the year on the disabled list. This year, he feels healthy. He said he was further along now than he was at the same time last year when he was with St. Louis. Manager Jim Leyland said Penny looked "very good,"
Brad Penny is going the extra miles with hopes of a comeback season
February 28
Michigan Live
 
"Brad Penny wasn't worried about the results. He simply wanted to locate his fastball, "work on my breaking stuff" and take another step toward his first regular season start as a member of the Detroit Tigers. It's a typical approach for established major league starters who aren't trying to win jobs. Still, despite never cutting loose with his good fastball, Penny retired six Toronto Blue Jays in order to start Sunday's game and called it a day. Detroit won, 1-0, with its second shutout in as many days against Toronto. "Spring training is a good time to work on things," Penny said. "I did not throw very hard and was just trying to locate and focus. If I get outs like that, I should be able"
Brad Penny takes his time, on and off the field
February 28
Detroit News
 
"Brad Penny threw two scoreless innings on Sunday in his spring debut as a Tigers starter. Two methodical - some would say slow - innings in the Tigers' 1-0 victory at Marchant Stadium against the Blue Jays. Many, perhaps, would describe Penny's pace on the mound as slow. He calls it "average." But this former Marlin-Dodger-Red Sox-Giant-Cardinal has been around a while. It is his 12th year in the majors, so he's well aware of the difference between tolerable and nap-inducing. "If you're going to work slower," he said, "you need to throw strikes. If you're working slower, but throwing strikes, you keep your defense in the game." Penny knows how to prepare himself for successful seasons."
New Tigers starter Brad Penny hopes to waltz into playoffs
January 28
Detroit News
 
"Let's get this straight: Brad Penny is engaged to a "Dancing with the Stars" performer? Looks like the new pitcher has come to the right team. What is it about the Tigers and dancing this year? It's a recurring theme. In fact, it's everywhere. From Dave Dombrowski's playful comments last month to Magglio Ordonez that the Tigers general manager would have given Ordonez a bigger contract if he would teach him the moves that Ordonez showed at Alex Avila's wedding. … From Avila saying Magglio is a "pretty good" dancer but that his front-office dad Al, the Tigers assistant general manager, is even better. … "He showed me something," Alex said about Al. "He got a little crazy out there." …"
Source: Tigers, Brad Penny close to deal
January 11
Foxsports.com
 
"The Detroit Tigers are on the verge of signing free-agent starter Brad Penny to a one-year, $3 million contract, a major league source told FOXSports.com early Tuesday morning. Penny, 32, will have the chance to earn more through incentives. He should arrive at spring training next month with a strong chance to be Detroit's fifth starter. Armando Galarraga, coming off a poor September performance, is the other main competitor for the job. The other four spots in the Tigers' rotation appear set: Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Rick Porcello and converted reliever Phil Coke, the only left-hander. With Penny, the question is less about ability and more about health. He went 3-4 with a 3.23"
Report: Tigers 'still pursuing' free agent right-hander Brad Penny
January 6
Michigan Live
 
"Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski has said he's content with the team's starting rotation heading into the 2011 season. But, then again, a little competition couldn't hurt, right? Major-league sources tell Fox Sports' Jon Paul Morosi that the Tigers remain in pursuit of free agent right-hander Brad Penny, who would seemingly compete alongside Armando Galarraga for the club's No. 5 starting spot. Penny's name was initially kicked around in late December amid speculation the Tigers were interested in acquiring an additional starter. He posted a 3.23 ERA in nine starts for St. Louis last year before an upper back strain in May sidelined him for the remainder of the season. The"
Cardinals shut down injured Penny for at least a week
July 8
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Cardinals starter Brad Penny will be shut down completely for the next seven to 10 days to recover from a relapse of the muscle strain that has kept him on the disabled list since May. An MRI of Penny's injured right shoulder revealed no further damage in the area, and, according to a team official, no new injury. Penny's symptoms however persist. "He was evaluated by a doctor and (the MRI) was encouraging, but he's still symptomatic," said assistant general manager John Abbamondi, who is traveling with the team this week. "There was nothing in the exam to indicate it's a new injury. It's a re-occurrence of the injury he had." Penny felt discomfort in the area where the triceps connects to"
Cards encouraged by news on Penny
June 12
MLB.com
 
"General manager John Mozeliak said on Friday that the Cardinals received "positive news" on right-hander Brad Penny earlier in the day, but stopped short of projecting a date for Penny's return to active duty or even to pitching off a mound. Penny, who has been out since May 21 because of a strained right lat muscle, underwent an MRI exam which showed improvement in the injury. "He's continuing to progress, but having an end date for when he'll be back, I've been wrong so many times, I'm just going to stay out of the guessing game," Mozeliak said. "What the MRI showed was significant improvement, and based on that, we're just going to continue down that path." Penny has remained on a"
Timetable on Penny unclear, might need another four to six weeks
June 6
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 (scroll down)
"Club and player remain vague about when pitcher Brad Penny will work from a mound as part of his rehab from a strained muscle in his upper right back. Penny has been on the disabled list since May 22. He is eligible to come off the list Sunday. Though the club was initially hopeful of Penny being activated after three weeks, La Russa admitted on Saturday that it would be "fortunate" if Penny were to pitch during the home stand beginning June 14. Penny declined to offer a timeline for his return Saturday, adding he had no idea when he might throw from a mound."
Brad Penny placed on disabled list but stay is not expected to be long
May 23
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"Hoping for the best but preparing for the worst, the Cardinals received good news Saturday morning on pitcher Brad Penny when an MRI revealed a Grade 1 strain of his right lat. The right-hander was placed on the 15-day disabled list prior to Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Angels, but general manager John Mozeliak said the Cardinals expect him to return to the starting rotation when his 15 days are up. The Cardinals had feared that Penny might be out for a more extended time, but the club now seems to think that won't be the case. "It was good news," Mozeliak said. "We are going to go ahead and still DL him, but it was localized so we were able to inject it. He's probably anywhere"
Mozeliak: Penny set for "minimal" DL stay
May 23
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Cardinals starting pitcher Brad Penny was assigned to the 15-day disabled list shortly before game time today, but general manager John Mozeliak said the strapping righthander is expected to have a "minimal stay" on the inactive list. Penny has a Grade 1 strain of his right lat, a muscle that wraps from the lower back to the armpit. Mozeliak said the injury is "localized", and that the righthander received an anti-inflammatory injection to dull the pain. Mozeliak said Penny will be inactive for seven to 10 days. He could have returned to make a start after that time, but the team has elected to put him on the disable list to avoid the temptation of starting him and give him the extra time."
Brad Penny pays for HR with strained back
May 22
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Anticipated for the return of former Cardinals starter Joel Piñeiro to Busch Stadium, the lasting significance of Friday's game instead will be the sudden departure of Brad Penny. Penny hit the first grand slam of his career to break a tie in the third inning and then didn't throw another pitch in the game. The righthander left with a strained right back muscle, an injury lingering from his previous start and aggravated Friday against the Los Angeles Angels. The severity of the injury won't be clear until a scan is taken this morning, but the Cardinals plan to promote P.J. Walters from Class AAA Memphis as a precaution. "When a guy like Brad goes down," said reliever Mitchell Boggs, who"
Lack of run support hurts Penny again as seventh inning unravels
May 12
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"The Cardinals continued a season-long lack of run support for pitcher Brad Penny Tuesday night. But for six innings against the Houston Astros, it looked like it wasn't going to matter. Penny took a shutout into the seventh inning before an error by Brendan Ryan opened the door for four unearned Houston runs as the Astros came from behind to beat the Cardinals, 6-3, in front of 35,875 fans at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals have now scored a total of 14 runs in Penny's seven starts this season, an average of just two per game. After seven innings and no earned runs on Tuesday, the right-hander lowered his ERA to 1.70. But the stellar ERA is good for just a 3-3 record thanks to a lack of run"
Luck elusive for St. Louis Cardinals hurler Brad Penny
May 12
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The way Tuesday's seventh inning unraveled on the Cardinals with a couple of errors and a few perfectly placed hits absolved Brad Penny of any wrongdoing in the box score. That's not how he saw it. "The hard thing is I've got to get one of those guys out," Penny said of a four-run inning by Houston that fed its 6-3 victory at Busch Stadium. "That's how we win this ballgame. ... I felt great. I felt too good to lose that game." All four of the Astros' runs off Penny were unearned in the decisive seventh inning, meaning the Cardinals' righthander lowered his ERA while losing his third consecutive game. Undone by the defense behind him, Penny faced nine batters in the seventh inning, his"
St. Louis Cardinals' Brad Penny remakes himself
May 11
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Cardinals righthander Brad Penny has been a contributing member of some significant pitching rotations as he's passed through six organizations in his professional career. During his time with the Florida Marlins, which ended in 2004, Penny was teamed with Josh Beckett, A.J. Burnett, Dontrelle Willis and Carl Pavano. And last year, splitting time with Boston and San Francisco, he was a part of a Red Sox rotation that had Beckett, Jon Lester, Tim Wakefield and Daisuke Matsuzaka. When he got to San Francisco for the last month of the season, he ran into three Cy Young Award winners -Tim Lincecum, Randy Johnson and Barry Zito, plus hard-throwing Matt Cain. But now, in a Cardinals rotation"
Cardinals, Brad Penny washed away
May 1
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The Cardinals' five-game winning streak and the three-game string for righthander Brad Penny both came to an end, although hardly an abrupt one, Friday night at soggy Busch Stadium. The finish of the Cincinnati Reds' 3-2 victory actually came early Saturday morning, courtesy of a 2 hour, 32 minute rain delay that came in the sixth inning, just after the Reds, who ran their own winning streak to five, had scored the tying and go-ahead runs while Penny labored in what became a downpour. Penny, who entered the game with a 0.94 earned run average, wasn't nearly as sharp as he had been in his first four starts. He walked five and induced only eight ground-ball outs for his six innings. But"
Pre-game chat with Bob Gibson inspirational for Brad Penny
March 28
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"Two hours before he took the mound against the Florida Marlins on Saturday, pitcher Brad Penny sat in the Cardinals clubhouse and listened as Hall of Famer Bob Gibson told stories from his decorative baseball career. Gibson, of course, is one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history and his 1.12 ERA in 1968 is widely regarded as the reason Major League Baseball decided to lower the pitcher's mound from 15 inches to 10 inches prior to the 1969 season. So Penny sat and listened as Gibson talked about everything from his 14-inning complete game loss to his string of starts in the 1964 and 1967 World Series'. "I love hearing those stories," Penny said. "I was trying to figure out how in"
Cardinals' Brad Penny takes some licks in win over Florida Marlins
March 28
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The Cardinals signed Brad Penny to serve as their No. 4 starter this season. If this spring is a barometer, they also obtained a human batting target. Penny offered his new club a six-inning glimpse of him near his best Saturday as the Florida Marlins managed five hits and one run in a 3-2 Cardinals win. Penny used an effective split-finger fastball, his signature pitch, while exhibiting improved command within the strike zone. Opponents had reached him for 23 hits in 14 2/3 innings in his first four outings. On Saturday, Penny induced seven ground ball outs while striking out six."
Brad Penny struggles, stays confident after loss to Mets
March 6
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"Having made a career out of raw velocity and a gunslinger's itchiness to fire fastballs, new Cardinals starter Brad Penny said it wasn't pitching coach Dave Duncan who encouraged him to try a sinker this spring. Duncan didn't have to. One look at what the other Cardinals starters throw and Penny could spot the trend. "A lot of the other guys, that's what they throw," Penny said. "I've always been a four-seam-guy. … But if I get a guy to a 1-0 (count) and he's sitting four-seamer, it will help to have something with a little movement on it. We'll see if I can get this pitch there." Penny, a righthander, made his Cardinals debut Friday with an arduous and at times uneven two innings against"
Brad Penny excited to finally be in St. Louis
January 17
St. Louis Globe-Democrat
 
"Growing up as a youngster in Oklahoma, Brad Penny dreamed of one day playing for the St. Louis Cardinals. After agreeing to a one-year $7.5 million contract with the club last month, the 31-year-old Penny will finally get his wish. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Penny attended his first Winter Warm-Up on Saturday, signing autographs for 90 minutes before taking an evening flight back home. But before heading out, the righthander spoke with the media and expressed his excitement about joining the Cardinals and finally getting to play for manager Tony La Russa. "I've always wanted to play here, it was my favorite team growing up," Penny said. "My dad was always a Dodgers fan but I was a Cardinals"
Giants finally get offense going
September 14
Oakland Tribune
 
"Finally, the Giants started living up to their marketing slogan. Now they have to keep it going, and hope it's not too late. Brad Penny helped to pull his new teammates out of the fetal position, taking a shutout into the seventh inning as the Giants beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-2 Sunday at AT"
Plucky Penny gets Giants going
September 8
San Francisco Chronicle
 columnist John Shea
"Say this for Brad Penny: The guy doesn't lack emotion. The newest addition to the Giants' rotation made his San Francisco debut in black and orange and made the Padres all black and blue. Not only did Penny put the hurt on the Padres in a 9-4 Giants victory Monday, but he won over fans with his exuberance, which was as high-octane as his 97-, 98-mph fastball. "It's very important for a team to have someone like that, being crazy like that, showing emotions out there," catcher Bengie Molina said. "Everybody feeds off it." After managing only three wins during a six-game trip in which their pitchers surrendered nine runs, the Giants equaled that run total in one afternoon. Of their 13 hits,"
Pads just no match for angry Penny
September 8
San Diego Union-Tribune
 
"Twenty-seven outs shy of a no-hitter, Brad Penny gave up a game-opening single by Padres leadoff man Everth Cabrera. Six outs later, Cabrera's hit was changed to an error. So this was how it was going to be. Maybe it was just the lingering memory of the Padres getting no-hit by Jonathan Sanchez in their last visit to AT"
Penny excited to face Dodgers
September 2
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"If the Giants stay on rotation, Brad Penny will face the Dodgers, his former team, Sept. 13 in San Francisco. Told there will be 42,000 people at AT"
Twins decide to pass on Penny
September 1
Minneapolis Star Tribune
 
"Twins officials said they didn't mind Brad Penny's price tag but passed on the recently released Red Sox pitcher because Penny wanted a National League job. Penny cleared release waivers Monday and reportedly signed with the Giants, who owe him only about $77,000 this season. By claiming Penny, the Twins would have spent about $1.2 million for six Penny starts down the stretch. The Twins' Mike Redmond and Carl Pavano contacted their former Marlins teammate directly, and there were indications Penny's agent told the Twins' front office about his client's strong NL preference. In nine years as an NL pitcher, Penny posted a 4.06 ERA. This year, he moved to the AL and posted a 5.61 ERA for"