Tony Peña
Born: 6/4/1957 in Monte Cristi, Monte Cristi, D.R.
MLB Debut: 1980-09-01 | Final Game: 1997-09-28
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 175 lbs
Full name: Antonio Francesco Peña
Biography
Tony Peña, born in 1957, was a prominent Major League Baseball player whose career spanned from 1980 until his retirement in 1997. Over the course of 1,988 games, Peña established himself as a versatile position player known for his solid offensive contributions and defensive prowess behind the plate. He accumulated a total of 1,687 hits, including 107 home runs, while driving in 708 runs with a batting average of .260. A notable base runner, he also recorded 80 stolen bases during his career, showcasing his agility and speed, which were somewhat uncommon for catchers of his era.
Peña was selected as an All-Star five times, a testament to his skill and popularity among fans and peers alike. His playing style combined a strong defensive presence with a respectable offensive output, making him a valuable asset to his teams. Over the years, he played for several clubs, contributing significantly to the game during a period that saw a transition towards more offensive play in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Peña's legacy in baseball is marked by his all-around abilities and his role in the evolution of the catching position, paving the way for future generations of players.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 6489 | 667 | 1687 | 298 | 27 | 107 | 708 | 80 | 455 | 846 | 0.260 | 0.309 | 0.364 | 0.673 | -7942.9 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | PIT | NL | 8 | 21 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0.429 | 0.0 |
| 1981 | PIT | NL | 66 | 210 | 16 | 63 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 1 | 8 | 23 | 0.300 | 54.1 |
| 1982 | PIT | NL | 138 | 497 | 53 | 147 | 28 | 4 | 11 | 63 | 2 | 17 | 57 | 0.296 | 471.8 |
| 1983 | PIT | NL | 151 | 542 | 51 | 163 | 22 | 3 | 15 | 70 | 6 | 31 | 73 | 0.301 | 838.2 |
| 1984 | PIT | NL | 147 | 546 | 77 | 156 | 27 | 2 | 15 | 78 | 12 | 36 | 79 | 0.286 | 736.2 |
| 1985 | PIT | NL | 147 | 546 | 53 | 136 | 27 | 2 | 10 | 59 | 12 | 29 | 67 | 0.249 | -1197.8 |
| 1986 | PIT | NL | 144 | 510 | 56 | 147 | 26 | 2 | 10 | 52 | 9 | 53 | 69 | 0.288 | 683.3 |
| 1987 | STL | NL | 116 | 384 | 40 | 82 | 13 | 4 | 5 | 44 | 6 | 36 | 54 | 0.214 | -1624.0 |
| 1988 | STL | NL | 149 | 505 | 55 | 133 | 23 | 1 | 10 | 51 | 6 | 33 | 60 | 0.263 | -283.3 |
| 1989 | STL | NL | 141 | 424 | 36 | 110 | 17 | 2 | 4 | 37 | 5 | 35 | 33 | 0.259 | -411.9 |
| 1990 | BOS | AL | 143 | 491 | 62 | 129 | 19 | 1 | 7 | 56 | 8 | 43 | 71 | 0.263 | -500.5 |
| 1991 | BOS | AL | 141 | 464 | 45 | 107 | 23 | 2 | 5 | 48 | 8 | 37 | 53 | 0.231 | -1246.5 |
| 1992 | BOS | AL | 133 | 410 | 39 | 99 | 21 | 1 | 1 | 38 | 3 | 24 | 61 | 0.241 | -1286.8 |
| 1993 | BOS | AL | 126 | 304 | 20 | 55 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 19 | 1 | 25 | 46 | 0.181 | -1952.7 |
| 1994 | CLE | AL | 40 | 112 | 18 | 33 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 9 | 11 | 0.295 | 16.6 |
| 1995 | CLE | AL | 91 | 263 | 25 | 69 | 15 | 0 | 5 | 28 | 1 | 14 | 44 | 0.262 | -538.5 |
| 1996 | CLE | AL | 67 | 174 | 14 | 34 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 27 | 0 | 15 | 25 | 0.195 | -1197.7 |
| 1997 | CHW | AL | 31 | 67 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 13 | 0.164 | -503.3 |
| 1997 | HOU | NL | 9 | 19 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0.211 | -503.3 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | 71 | 9 | 24 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 0.338 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | NLDS2 | HOU | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| 1996 | ALDS1 | CLE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| 1995 | ALCS | CLE | 4 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.333 |
| 1995 | ALDS1 | CLE | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.500 |
| 1995 | WS | CLE | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.167 |
| 1990 | ALCS | BOS | 4 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.214 |
| 1987 | WS | SLN | 7 | 22 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0.409 |
| 1987 | NLCS | SLN | 7 | 21 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0.381 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 13 | 4 | 45 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| C | 1950 | 1779 | 11212 | 1045 | 117 | 156 |
| OF | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | PIT | C | 6 | 5 | 38 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1981 | PIT | C | 64 | 54 | 286 | 41 | 5 | 10 |
| 1982 | PIT | C | 137 | 127 | 763 | 89 | 16 | 6 |
| 1983 | PIT | C | 149 | 144 | 976 | 90 | 9 | 9 |
| 1984 | PIT | C | 146 | 139 | 895 | 95 | 9 | 15 |
| 1985 | PIT | C | 146 | 141 | 922 | 100 | 12 | 9 |
| 1985 | PIT | 1B | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1986 | PIT | C | 139 | 133 | 810 | 99 | 18 | 13 |
| 1986 | PIT | 1B | 4 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987 | SLN | C | 112 | 103 | 615 | 51 | 8 | 8 |
| 1987 | SLN | 1B | 4 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987 | SLN | OF | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988 | SLN | C | 142 | 133 | 777 | 70 | 5 | 8 |
| 1988 | SLN | 1B | 3 | 2 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 1989 | SLN | C | 134 | 125 | 674 | 70 | 2 | 13 |
| 1989 | SLN | OF | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1990 | BOS | C | 142 | 133 | 864 | 74 | 5 | 13 |
| 1990 | BOS | 1B | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1991 | BOS | C | 140 | 132 | 864 | 60 | 5 | 15 |
| 1992 | BOS | C | 132 | 122 | 786 | 57 | 6 | 12 |
| 1993 | BOS | C | 125 | 102 | 698 | 53 | 4 | 8 |
| 1994 | CLE | C | 40 | 31 | 209 | 17 | 1 | 2 |
| 1995 | CLE | C | 91 | 78 | 508 | 36 | 7 | 6 |
| 1996 | CLE | C | 67 | 50 | 336 | 27 | 3 | 6 |
| 1997 | CHA | C | 30 | 21 | 143 | 8 | 0 | 2 |
| 1997 | CHA | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 | HOU | C | 8 | 6 | 48 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 1950 |
| First Base | 13 |
| Third Base | 1 |
| Right Field | 3 |
| Designated Hitter | 1 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Gold Glove | C |
| 1985 | Gold Glove | C |
| 1984 | Gold Glove | C |
| 1983 | Gold Glove | C |
| 1983 | TSN All-Star | C |
| 1982 | Player of the Week | Week of 1982-07-02 |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | CHA | AL | $425,000 |
| 1996 | CLE | AL | $558,333 |
| 1995 | CLE | AL | $516,666 |
| 1994 | CLE | AL | $400,000 |
| 1993 | BOS | AL | $2,200,000 |
| 1992 | BOS | AL | $2,400,000 |
| 1991 | BOS | AL | $2,300,000 |
| 1990 | BOS | AL | $1,700,000 |
| 1989 | SLN | NL | $1,220,000 |
| 1988 | SLN | NL | $1,100,000 |
| 1987 | SLN | NL | $1,150,500 |
| 1986 | PIT | NL | $1,225,000 |
| 1985 | PIT | NL | $1,075,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $16,270,499 | ||
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 21th | 6.0 | 392 | 0 |
| 1983 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 12th | 25.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1981 | Rookie of the Year | NL | 6th | 4.0 | 120 | 0 |