Tony Pena is a former Major League Baseball catcher who played for 18 seasons with four different teams. He was born on June 4, 1957, in Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic. Pena began his professional baseball career in 1976 when he signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates as an amateur free agent. He made his major league debut with the Pirates in 1980 and quickly established himself as one of the best catchers in the league.
Pena was known for his strong arm and defensive skills behind the plate. He won three Gold Glove Awards during his career (1983, 1984, and 1985) and was named to five All-Star teams (1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, and 1991). Pena was also a solid hitter, finishing his career with a .260 batting average, 107 home runs, and 708 runs batted in.
After spending the first six seasons of his career with the Pirates, Pena was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1987. He played two seasons with the Cardinals before being traded to the Boston Red Sox in 1989. Pena spent three seasons with the Red Sox before being traded to the Cleveland Indians in 1993. He played one season with the Indians before signing with the Chicago White Sox as a free agent in 1994. Pena played two seasons with the White Sox before retiring after the 1997 season.
After retiring as a player, Pena began his coaching career. He served as a coach for the Houston Astros from 2002 to 2004 before being named the manager of the Kansas City Royals in 2005. Pena managed the Royals for three seasons (2005-2007) before being fired in 2008. He then served as a coach for the New York Yankees (2009-2017) and the Miami Marlins (2018-2019).
In addition to his coaching career, Pena has also been involved in baseball in his native Dominican Republic. He has served as the manager of the Dominican Republic national baseball team, leading them to the championship of the 2013 World Baseball Classic.
Overall, Tony Pena had a successful career as a player and has continued to make an impact in baseball as a coach and manager. He was known for his defensive skills behind the plate and was a five-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner. Pena's coaching career has also been successful, and he has been involved in baseball in both the United States and the Dominican Republic.
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