Now batting, Tony Pena
Posted by: Peter Abraham - Posted in Misc on Oct 24, 2007 
Print This Post
| 
Email This Post
Tony Pena is interviewing with the Yankees today. The team plans to make him available to the media and I’ll report back when that happens.
Could Pena emerge as a compromise choice? I doubt it. But I do know the Yankees are impressed with the work he has done over the last two seasons.
Meanwhile, here is my Tony Pena story:
I was covering college basketball in the 1990s for a paper in Connecticut when I volunteered to get off a plane to get a free ticket. I forgot I had the ticket and found the voucher one day, almost a year later.
To my chagrin, it expired in a month. It was late in the summer, too late to plan a vacation. So I decided to fly to Chicago and see two games on the same day then return the next morning. My girlfriend at the time thought I was insane.
So I flew to O’Hare, took the train to Wrigley Field and pounded Old Styles in the sun watching the Cubs. Then I hopped on the train to Comiskey Park and watched the Indians play the White Sox.
I got there early and the park was near empty. I walked up and got a seat that was pretty close to the field. Tony, Cleveland’s backup catcher at the time, was hanging out and I got his autograph on my program.
I explained to him what I had done that day and he thought it was great that I liked baseball so much. When he came back out again, he flipped me a ball. I can’t remember who won the games, but I remember it was great seeing 18 innings in two parks.
That ball is still on my desk. I told Tony my tale in spring training and he laughed. He’s still a good guy, always with a smile and a friendly word for everybody.
Well, if Girardi gets it, let’s hope Pena can make Girardi a good bench coach.
Lets go Tony !!!
Lets go Tony !!!
Lets go Tony !!!
It seems as though Pena and Bowa both fit in with this team very well. Let’s hope a compromise can be made to keep them around on the coaching staff in some capacity.
Great story Pete!
Great story, Peter. I wasn’t familiar with Tony until he started with the Yankees, but I really want to keep him here. I hope Girardi gets to manage and both Tony and Larry stay put. I think Donnie should be the hitting coach but also be involved in player developement somehow.
Great story Pete. Hopefully, Pena is getting a serious look instead of just being a ”following the rules” type of candidate.
What a great idea for a trip, Pete.
Just one question: How could Pete have seen Tony Pena while with Cleveland play the White Sox in Old Comiskey (1990 was its last season)? Pena was still with the Red Sox in 1990. Must have been later on the 1990s, at the new Comiskey (a/k/a the Cell). Not sure I would call it an “old park” at that point, or even now for that matter.
Coco loco–Pete was referring to the decade of the 90s hence “1990s”
I was just curious, i am not certain, but i read somewhere that Bowa left for the Mariners…is this true??
E-ROC — Pete also talked about seeing “two old parks” in one day? The only way he could have done that during the decade of the 1990s was in 1990, since new Comiskey opened in 1991.
Jamie – not yet. Bowa has an agreement in place to coach 3B for the Mariners, but he has not yet accepted the position due to “personal reasons.” He has stated publicly that he’d prefer to stay with the Yankees. It depends on the coaching staffs for whomever becomes manager. In Mattingly’s case, I think he’d do well as his bench coach. In Girardi’s case, he should stay at third. In either case, if either coach offers him a job, I think he stays.
But because new managers get to pick their staff, Bowa’s job is not guaranteed. I would like to think that either Mattingly, Girardi, or Pena would be smart enough to keep him on.
My bad. I guess I’ll shut my mouth.
burn bernie burn, was the hotel connected to that little mall that was a few blocks from the stadium? My family was out there for that series and my one cousin said he saw Bowa wandering that mall.
You know, in retrospect it was the new White Sox park. I was mixing it up with an earlier trip when I saw the old park in 1989. At any rate, Tony was a cool guy. That was the point.
anyone remember tony pena’s reaction after mel hall hit the homerun to beat the red soxs on memorial day?
I remember the HR, was at that game…it was the 1st time I felt the upper deck shake in Yankee Stadium…
Don’t remember Pena’s reaction though.
Cool story, Pete.
What are the chances that the Yanks are able to retain these guys if they don’t get the manager’s position? Impossible?
I’m not sure who said it, maybe Olney or Stark, but he referred to Pena as probably an excellent candidate for the managing position this year because he’s expendable…meaning that if Mattingly is indeed the manager of the future but still requires some seasoning as an AAA manager, hiring Pena as a stopgap manager would be ideal. That way, WHEN he gets fired, it wouldn’t be a PR disaster or even insulting a former Yankee (e.g. Girardi). Pena doesn’t have that connection with the Yankee fanbase that someone like Giradi or Mattingly, or Bucky, Sweet Lou, or Yogi had before him.
Therefore, a short managing stint for Pena would not blow up in the Yankee FO’s faces.
I like that theory and agree thaat pena should get a legitimate shot at this job.
Great story Peter. Pena is a stand up man and I’d be proud if he took over for a year or two before Mattingly took over.
Mel Hall is a moron. Nasty person.
his home run walk was an embarassment.
pete – great story about chi-town, great sports town, brings back memories of when i went out to see the yanks play and pounded old styles with a buddy and locals at wrigley during a rain delay…u know who i want to manage
I think that Pena would be a good choice. Former manager, manager of the year, and a good player before that. He would be a person who would make the Latin players feel more comfortable. Mattingly would be able to manager at AAA for a year or two.
I think it should be Pena