Former Pirate Pena named Royals manager
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Tony Pena the manager promises to be just as tough and combative as Tony Pena the All-Star catcher. “I believe you go out and play hard baseball,” said the new Kansas City Royals manager, renowned during his 18-year career as one of the major leagues’ most aggressive players.
“I believe in that. There will be rules and we’re going to have to follow the rules.”
A five-time All-Star while with Pittsburgh and St. Louis, the 44-year-old Pena was introduced Wednesday as the replacement for Tony Muser, who was fired April 29. Hired off the staff of the Houston Astros, Pena signed through the 2004 season.
He smiled broadly when asked what his first message to his players would be.
“I am the new DJ. I play the music,” he said. “You are to dance. If you don’t know how to dance, get off of the dance floor.”
Then in his first meeting with the team, he said exactly that.
“That’s really what he said to us,” catcher A.J. Hinch said. “We really got a kick out of it. We’ve known him for 20 minutes and we can see he’s got a great personality. I think the transition is going to be fine.”
Pena is taking over a small-budget team with declining attendance that hasn’t reached the postseason since 1985 and twice in the past three seasons lost a franchise-record 97 games.
Yet, after losing their first six games under interim manager John Mizerock, the Royals have been played better, winning five of seven to raise their record to 13-23 going into Wednesday night’s game against Minnesota.
“I want to win every single game,” Pena said. “Whenever we cross that white line, my goal is to win every single game. I know it’s never going to happen.”
Pena’s Latin background weighed heavily in his favor, general manager Allard Baird said, referring to his ability as “a cross-cultural communicator.”
“It’s estimated that by the year 2004 that 40 percent of the major leagues is going to be from the international market,” Baird said. “You have to have somebody who’s going to be able to go from locker to locker and be able to communicate.”
The Royals have eight Latin-born players on their roster, including four from Pena’s native Dominican Republic. Two of their top Triple-A prospects are also Latin.
“Some people, they don’t know the background of the Latin players,” Pena said. “Some of those kids, they grow up with their mama and dad separated. Some (parents) are alcoholics and some are drug addicts. And they grow up alone. You have to find out the past in each person and become his friend.”
Shortstop Neifi Perez, a Dominican, said he had never felt hampered by the cultural difference.
“But with a lot of Latin players, it is a problem,” he said. “It is not a serious problem. You don’t play well because you don’t play well.
“I’m not going to lie to you. I feel more comfortable now because we speak the same language. We can communicate better. Tony was a great player and I think he can be a great manager.”
Pena was chosen over three other finalists – Bucky Dent, manager of the Royals’ Triple-A Omaha team; John Mizerock, who took over the Royals as interim manager; and ESPN analyst and former major league manager Buck Showalter.
Before becoming the Astros’ bench coach this year, he spent three seasons managing the Triple-A New Orleans Zephyrs. In 2001, the Zephyrs finished 82-57 and won the Pacific Coast League Eastern Division.
A .260 career hitter, Pena also was a four-time Gold Glove winner. With the Pirates, Cardianls, Red Sox, Indians, White Sox and Astros, he played in 1,988 games, fourth all-time for a catchers.
Many of the players had been openly campaigning for Mizerock to get the job.
“I don’t think that’s a problem,” Hinch said. “As professionals, we’re 100 percent behind our new manager. Besides, Rock is still going to be here with us as our bullpen coach.”