Carlos Pena News: Pro Sports Daily

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October 6

Tampa Tribune

"Carlos Pena didn't pick up a bat for about the final month of this season but still ended up finishing with a share of the American League home run title. Much to the first baseman's surprise, the 39 homers he had when he suffered two broken fingers after being hit by a pitch Sept. 7 at Yankee Stadium held up heading into the final day, and when New York 1B Mark Teixeira went homerless in four trips to the plate, the two shared the crown. "When my injury happened, there was so much season left that the last thing on my mind was the fact that I was going to be able to be leading the league in home runs," Pena said. "I didn't expect this to happen, so I'm extremely happy and thrilled." ..."

Rays slugger Carlos Pena out for remainder of season with broken fingers after taking CC Sabathia pitch on hand

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September 8

Trenton Times

"Before every game, I grab a statistics packet, which lists the league leaders in all sorts of categories. And when it came to the league leaders in home runs, it seemed that every time Mark Teixeira crept toward the top, the Rays' Carlos Pena would jump ahead. But it looks like the race between the two slugging first basemen is over with this terrible news: Pena will miss the rest of the season after X-Rays revealed two broken fingers on his left hand. Pena suffered the injury after getting hit on the hand by CC Sabathia. Gamer that he his, after a long delay to check on the damage, Pena continued his at-bat. But after striking out on a swing that was painful to watch, it was clear that ..."

Rays' Pena done for season with broken fingers

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September 8

Tampa Tribune

"No one from the Rays' medical staff came right out and told Carlos Pena on Monday afternoon that his season was over. No one had to, once Pena saw the results of the X-ray that had been taken of his left hand. "I knew that it was broken, and then when I saw the picture it was just horrible," Pena said. "It looked like a pencil snapped in half." That was his middle finger, which got the worst of the 93-mph fastball from CC Sabathia that bored in on Pena's hand in the first inning of the first game of Monday's doubleheader at Yankee Stadium. Pena's index finger also was fractured by the pitch, which brought a remarkable individual season to a premature halt. Considering Pena's hitting of ..."

Rays lose Pena for rest of season

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September 8

Tampa Tribune

"No one from the Rays' medical staff came right out and told Carlos Pena on Monday afternoon that his season was over. No one had to, once Pena saw the results of the X-ray that had been taken of his left hand. "I knew that it was broken, and then when I saw the picture it was just horrible," Pena said. "It looked like a pencil snapped in half." That was his middle finger, which got the worst of the 93-mph fastball from CC Sabathia that bored in on Pena's hand in the first inning of the first game of Monday's doubleheader at Yankee Stadium. Pena's index finger also was fractured by the pitch, which brought a remarkable individual season to a premature halt. Considering Pena's hitting of ..."

Peña breaks two fingers, out for season

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September 8

St. Petersburg Times

"The pain Carlos Pena felt after being struck on the left hand by CC Sabathia's 93-mph fastball, then when he tried valiantly to stay in Monday's game and checked his swing, was excruciating, enough that he wondered later how he didn't pass out. But the reality that his season was over - the result of two broken fingers - was worse. "I was crushed," Pena said. "I felt like if you took my heart and threw it around and stepped on it a million times, that's how bad it felt. … That hurt more than the hit by pitch itself. I know I'm going to be on some medication and the pain in my hand can be controlled, but the pain I feel in my heart and in my soul right now, that's the one that's going to be ..."

Rays' Peña done for season

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September 7

Tampa Tribune

"This is not the way the Rays wanted to start a very long day at the ballpark. The Rays have lost first baseman Carlos Peña for the season after x-rays revealed two broken fingers in his throwing hand. Peña was hit on the left hand by a 93-mph CC Sabathia fastball in the top of the first inning and was forced to leave the opening game of a doubleheader against the Yankees a few minutes later. There was a lengthy delay after Peña was hit, as the All-Star consulted with Rays manager Joe Maddon and head trainer Ron Porterfield about whether to stay in the game. The umpires ruled Peña swung through the strike zone on the pitch that hit him, so he was still at the plate, facing an 0-2 count. ..."

Peña becomes first Tampa Bay Rays player to reach 100 RBIs in three seasons

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September 6

St. Petersburg Times

"Manager Joe Maddon has said 1B Carlos Peña is "swinging the bat as well as I've ever seen him." And thanks to a red-hot stretch, Peña has done something no Ray has ever done. Peña's RBI single in the third inning Saturday made him the first Ray to have three 100-RBI seasons, after he did it the past two. And Evan Longoria, who tied his 2008 total of 27 homers, is within one RBI of giving Tampa Bay two players in triple digits for the first time. "I'm grateful that I have the opportunity to go out and do that," Peña said. "I'm happy to be able to reach that. And as I keep on saying, all I want to do is keep on improving." Peña has been at his best the past 17 games, hitting .356 (21-for-59) ..."

Peña drives in winning run in 10th

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August 23

St. Petersburg Times

"Carlos Pena played Saturday's game with a heavy heart, and inspiration. Peña said he was crushed in the morning when he heard that one of his best friends, former Northeastern University teammate Greg Montalbano, had died Friday night after a decade-long battle with cancer. "He was my right hand in college," Peña said. "In my mind, he was a champion." Peña decided to dedicate Saturday's game to Montalbano, saying if he did something good, he'd make a little note and flash it to the TV cameras to honor Montalbano's memory. Peña did a lot more than that. Peña hit two homers and drove in the winning run with a single in the 10th inning to lift the Rays to a 5-4 win over the Rangers in front ..."

Tampa Bay Rays' Carlos Peña knocked out in first round of All-Star home run derby

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July 14

St. Petersburg Times

"Prince Fielder was the home run king at Monday's derby, but Rays first baseman Carlos Peña had the best time. "Wow, what an experience," Peña said. "I did not think this was going to be so much fun. That was incredible. I had the time of my life." Peña hatched a plan to have Rays batting practice pitcher Scott McNulty work him outside so he could hit the ball to left-center, as he normally does in batting practice. It worked well enough that he hit five in the first round, then advanced to a "swing-off" with Joe Mauer and Albert Pujols for the final spot in the second round, but he hit only one more as Pujols advanced."

Tampa Bay Rays' Carlos Peña excited to take part in All-Star home run derby

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July 13

St. Petersburg Times

"Every day, Rays 1B Carlos Pena works on hitting the ball on the line and to the opposite field. Tonight, he and the seven others in the home run derby will be all-out swinging for the fences. "I just want to be in it," Peña said Sunday. "I just want to go over there and have a good time. … Whether I win it or come in dead last, I just want the full experience." Peña joins an AL squad for the derby that includes Detroit's Brandon Inge, Texas' Nelson Cruz and Minnesota's Joe Mauer. The NL squad is a bit more heavily armed, featuring hometown favorite Albert Pujols of the Cardinals, along with San Diego's Adrian Gonzalez, Milwaukee's Prince Fielder and Philadelphia's Ryan Howard, a native of ..."

Tampa Bay Rays marshal troops to help Carlos Peña's All-Star push

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July 8

St. Petersburg Times

"The Rays are wearing T-shirts, putting up billboards, setting up laptops at the stadium and joking about reassigning interns to voting duty in an effort to get 1B Carlos Peña elected as the final member of the AL All-Star team. From the early returns, he's going to need the help. Peña was running fourth among the five candidates as of 8 p.m. Tuesday, more than halfway through the mlb.com voting period that ends at 4 p.m. Thursday. Texas' Ian Kinsler was leading, according to MLB, followed by Detroit's Brandon Inge, Los Angeles' Chone Figgins (of Brandon), Peña and Toronto's Adam Lind. Peña was thrilled, entertained and somewhat humbled by all the attention, from his teammates wearing white ..."

Carlos Peña hits a very, very long homer for Tampa Bay Rays

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June 21

St. Petersburg Times

"Carlos Peña studied enough engineering to know how to do the math, but he couldn't estimate how far his home run to just about dead centerfield went Saturday. "I knew I hit it pretty good," he said. Several Rays guessed it went close to 500 feet. The consensus was the same ball hit at Tropicana Field would have landed at least on top of the Batter's Eye restaurant. "Or over that into the brick area," Ben Zobrist said. "It was a shot." Manager Joe Maddon suggested, with only some hyperbole given the roomy dimensions and lack of carry at new Citi Field, it surpassed Lou Brock's famous homer at the Polo Grounds as the longest to centerfield in any of the New York stadiums. It was Peña's ..."

Rays' Peña dazzled by Gold Glove award

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April 17

St. Petersburg Times

"Carlos Pena could hardly believe his eyes. He had always considered the Gold Glove award special, something that he valued and would cherish. But when he actually saw it on the field prior to Wednesday's pregame ceremony, it was even more powerful than he had anticipated. "It's a beautiful trophy, first of all. It's really nice looking," said Peña, who also hit his fourth homer of the season in the fourth. "But what it represents means the world to me. I've taken pride in my defense and worked really hard. To get recognized, I'm very grateful for it." The award was the first for Peña, and the first for a Ray. "Hopefully it won't be the last one," he said. "I would love to get many more ..."

Carlos Pena has separate account from frozen one with Stanford Financial

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February 23

St. Petersburg Times

"At least Rays first baseman Carlos Peña can pay his bills. Peña said Sunday that the bulk of his assets have been frozen as a result of the Stanford Financial Group investigation but, unlike some of the other major-leaguers involved, he has a separate account for his everyday living expenses. "It is an inconvenience, no doubt, but thankfully with the system I have set up I'll be fine," Peña said. "I'm confident that in the near future, hopefully the next few days, they'll unfreeze everything and all goes back to normal." The Yankees' Johnny Damon and Xavier Nady are among players, all clients of agent Scott Boras, who said they have no access to their funds. Peña said one of his bank ..."

Rays' Pena Has Surgery

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January 29

Tampa Tribune

"Throughout the final two months of the 2008 season and on into the playoffs, Carlos Pena never let on that he was playing through occasionally severe abdominal pain. "If I were to take a checked swing it would kill me, it would hurt like crazy," Pena said Thursday. "And running was very difficult, very painful." The Rays' first baseman said he needed two cortisone shots to get through the season and hoped that once he had a chance to rest the discomfort would subside. But it never quite disappeared. After getting the problem checked out by local doctors, Pena visited a specialist in Philadelphia early this month, and all it took was a quick look at an MRI exam for Dr. William Myers to ..."

Pena Comes Up Gold At 1st

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November 7

Tampa Tribune

"When Carlos Pena learned he'd become the first Gold Glove winner in Rays history, he relayed the news from executive vice president Andrew Friedman to his wife, Pamela, in mid-phone call. "It was kind of funny because Andrew was hanging on the phone waiting for us to stop celebrating and screaming," Pena said Thursday after being named to the American League team at first base. "My wife grabbed the phone and started calling my parents and calling my brothers and calling her family. I mean, that's something that means a lot to me, and my family knows how much it means to me. I couldn't be more thrilled." Pena, the 30-year-old former journeyman whom the Rays signed as a minor-league free ..."

First baseman Carlos Pena wins first Gold Glove for Rays franchise

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November 7

St. Petersburg Times

"Carlos Pena sees himself as the figurehead for a Rays defense that - like the team itself - was tremendously improved this season. The American League champions had several players who could have won Gold Glove awards, he said. That didn't temper the 30-year-old first baseman's excitement when he was informed by Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman that he had been named the top defensive player at his position in the AL by managers and coaches. "I called everybody. My wife was extremely excited. We got excited when Andrew was on the phone, and we were celebrating and screaming," Pena said. Pena, whose presence has bolstered the Rays offense and defense since his arrival in 2007, ..."

Pena, Longoria missing in action

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October 27

Orange County Register

"The clubhouse guy was writing on the greaseboard, giving the Tampa Bay Rays the schedule for the postgame buses that would take them back to their rooms and shield them from home runs and umpires and Phillies. The He also wrote: "Recommended Attire Tomorrow: Express Yourself." That could be Manager Joe Maddon's final stab at giving his Rays a comfort zone in 2008. He has let them wear designer T-shirts on the road, he has joined them in Mohawk haircuts. Now, heading into a World Series Game 5 that could throw this ebullient ride into a bridge abutment, Maddon wants them to be themselves. He hopes it doesn't mean that Carlos Pena and Evan Longoria, the Rays' 3-4 hitters, will show up ..."

Evan Longoria, Carlos Pena come up short for Tampa Bay Rays

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October 27

New York Daily News

"Carlos Pena led the Rays with 31 homers and 102 RBI during the regular season, despite missing 20 games with a broken left index finger. Evan Longoria represented Tampa Bay in the All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium and is the favorite for AL Rookie of the Year honors after belting 27 homers in 448 at-bats. Now the Nos. 3 and 4 hitters for the Rays are a combined 0-for-29 with 15 strikeouts in the World Series. And with Sunday night's 10-2 loss to the Phillies in Game 4, they're facing elimination Monday when Scott Kazmir opposes Philadelphia ace Cole Hamels. Pena went 0-for-3 with a walk Sunday night and Longoria was hitless in four at-bats, with three strikeouts. Still, the Rays are ..."

Rays' Pena will enjoy long-awaited dance

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October 22

Orange County Register

columnist Mark Whicker

"Sometimes they don't make it because they're too slow, too old, too hurt, too dumb. Carlos Pena carried a more absorbent tag through five unfulfilling big league stops. Too smart. "It was true, definitely, because I would overanalyze everything," Pena said Tuesday, in the dugout of the Tampa Bay Rays, the club that won the American League pennant and came from whatever the next place is beyond nowhere. "I would always try to figure it out, try to work hard, put pressure on myself. Then I came here and I realized, because of the atmosphere here, that you can enjoy yourself. You have to bring the joy." The Rays begin their first World Series tonight, against Philadelphia. They are young but ..."

The only person to see it coming

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October 22

San Francisco Chronicle

columnist Ray Ratto

"As people cast about for the one person who honestly can claim not to have been surprised that the Tampa Bay Rays are opening the World Series here tonight against the Philadelphia Phillies, the obvious answer stands before them, at first base. Carlos Peña, the former A's first baseman, was the first one to see the greatness in this team, and it was sometime around its 34th win and 54th loss a year ago. Then again, Peña is the kind of relentlessly cheery sort who could see opportunity in a hospital fire, so maybe his opinion doesn't really count as a full-on prediction. Whatever it was, though, it was on the record, it predated any spreadsheet predictions for 2008, and it helped change the ..."

At first, Yankees didn't see power of Rays' Carlos Pena

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October 22

New York Daily News

"Carlos Pena had been summoned into Joe Maddon's office on the morning of March 30, 2007, an ominous sign for a player in spring camp on a minor-league deal. The Devil Rays were making their final cuts, and despite a solid showing during spring training, PeÃ±a had lost out to Greg Norton, relegating him to start another year at Triple-A. "Carlos was sitting right here and I said, 'Carlos, we're going to send you back. You had a great spring and we love what you're doing, so hang in there and you'll probably be back at some point,'" Maddon said from behind his desk at Tropicana Field. "Carlos said, 'I'm going to be back and I'm going to make an impact here.' I believed him." Just hours ..."

Rays' Peña quick to engineer booming career

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July 13

Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Before he was on the radar of big-league scouts, before he had a 40-plus home run season and before he fully knew what he was getting himself into, Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Carlos Peña was a student and baseball player at Wright State in Dayton. Yet, despite the numerous awards Peña has won, few know that Peña has roots -- albeit short standing ones -- at the Ohio college. Peña spent just one year, 1996, at Wright State. But unlike many with his skills, his departure wasn't brought on by a big-money deal to join the majors."

Pena helping Rays with sharp eye, mind

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July 7

St. Petersburg Times

"RHP James Shields said of 1B Carlos Pena, "Once (he) gets hot, I think the whole lineup gets hot." The Rays' current series with the Royals bears that out. Pena went 3-for-5 with two RBIs Sunday, with his hits ranging from line drives to surprises. Before he delivered a two-run double in the third, Pena shocked the Royals' shifted defense in the second by dropping a perfect bunt down the third-base line. According to baseball-reference.com, it was just the fifth bunt single in Pena's career, which spans 721 games. The last time he did it was Sept. 19, 2007, vs. the Angels."

Pena Due Back Friday

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June 26

St. Petersburg Times

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"1B Carlos Pena will join Rocco Baldelli in Class A Vero Beach uniforms tonight in Sarasota (7 p.m., Ed Smith Stadium). Pena's previously fractured left index finger has healed and, after going through extensive workouts Tuesday and Wednesday with no problems, he will play in what he hopes is one rehab game to regain his timing, then is planning to rejoin the Rays on Friday in Pittsburgh."

Pena's Finger Healing, But Return May Be In A Week

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June 23

Tampa Tribune

"An X-ray Sunday of 1B Carlos Pena's fractured left index finger revealed that the bone has begun to heal, but there still is no fixed return date for the 30-year-old slugger. Pena, who has progressed to hitting in a cage and playing catch with a baseball, is scheduled to participate in the team's pregame workout Tuesday at Dolphin Stadium. "That should go very well," Pena said. "And then, after that, we'll set our plan to come back. If it were up to me, I'd be playing right now. But I guess there's a pattern I need to follow and a program I need to follow before I actually go out there.""

Catwalk blast by Rays' Pena another sign of reemergence

May 27

St. Petersburg Times

"1B Carlos Pena showed flashes Monday of returning to his record-setting hitting form of a year ago. Hitting catwalks, that is. Pena struck a Trop catwalk a club-record five times last season. On Monday, Pena thought he had a second homer in as many days when his blast got stuck in the B-ring catwalk in centerfield during the third inning. But after he rounded the bases, it was ruled a ground-rule double. "It's a tremendous sign," manager Joe Maddon said. "Because when he's hitting our roof he's swinging the bat well."

This time, Walker prevails vs. Pena

May 26

Baltimore Sun

"The matchup didn't seem to favor the Orioles on paper or in the batter's box. Orioles manager Dave Trembley summoned left-hander Jamie Walker from the bullpen in the sixth inning yesterday with two runners on base, two outs, the score tied and Tampa Bay's Carlos Pena due up. The move wasn't automatic, as Pena had hit game-tying home runs off Walker on two consecutive nights last month at Tropicana Field. But starter Daniel Cabrera had thrown 118 pitches and walked two straight batters, so Trembley went with the percentages - left-hander vs. left-hander. Walker struck out Pena on a changeup to preserve the tie and continue his resurgence in this series."

Rays' Pena showing signs of snapping out of slump

May 26

St. Petersburg Times

"Manager Joe Maddon has said several times that if 1B Carlos Pena is walking, he's hitting. Pena's patience at the plate, and a couple of recent mechanical adjustments, have Maddon believing the 30-year-old is "getting back on track" following a recent 4-for-24 slump. Pena walked three times Sunday, going 1-for-2 with a two-run homer, and has reached base eight times in the past two days. "He absolutely looks right to me," Maddon said. "He's more spread out, he's lower, his foot is getting down sooner. He looks really good.""