News
Rays' Pena opens up to Club MLB
First baseman talks perseverance, staying cool under fire
By Club MLB Staff / MLB.com
05/08/09 2:33 PM ET
Carlos Pena is known by baseball fans for his powerful bat and slick glove, but the path to stardom wasn't always so smooth for the Tampa Bay first baseman.Armed with questions from the Kids Mailbag, Club MLB caught up with Pena in New York to discuss the importance of family, Hollywood dreams and what it's like to play for one of baseball's celebrated managers.
Q. After what the Rays did last season, are there bigger expectations for the team and yourself?
-- Kurt V., Binghamton, N.Y.
A: As long as we stay ourselves, stay in the moment, play our game, stay true to ourselves, then everything else falls into place. Everything else we don't really have control over. All we can do is control how we feel, how we think and what we focus upon, and if we just focus on the fact that today we have a ballgame, then that's all that matters.
Q. What do you like to do when you're not playing baseball?
-- Allison H., Brookline, Mass.
A: I love to read, I love going to the beach, just spending time with my family is always great.
Q. How often do you get to go back to where you're from in the Dominican Republic?
-- Michael F., Tampa, Fla.
A: Every year. I have a lot of family there, my wife is from the Dominican Republic, and she has a lot of family there. We like to take advantage of the chance to go see our loved ones.
Q. What would you be if you weren't a baseball player?
-- Evan R., Plainfield, N.J.
A: I studied computer engineering with the intent to work on filmmaking, like, special effects. So if I wasn't playing baseball, I would be working on making films. That's why I went to college for computer engineering with a minor in film. I love that stuff.
Q. What helped you get through those tough times, when you were released by the Tigers and trying to get back to the Majors?
-- Jose N., Miami, Fla.
A: My faith in God, No. 1, but also my family. They were so helpful that they provided me with the strength to say, "I'm going to put this uniform on and not only that, I'm going to enjoy myself, despite the fact that I might not be where I want to be." So yeah, a lot of faith and my family -- my wife, my daughter, my parents, my brothers. They just made me realize how blessed I was. I couldn't have done it without them.
Q. What other sports did you like to play growing up?
-- Lana J., Asheville, N.C.
A: Uhhh.... mostly just baseball. I didn't really have much of a choice, where I grew up in the Dominican Republic, baseball is it. So if we played any other sport, it would be a variation of it, stickball or some sort of cricket, but it was baseball. I did practice some track and some swimming, but not because I wanted to -- it was probably just because it was too cold when I moved to New England and I had to do something.
Q. Who are some of the toughest pitchers for you to face?
-- Mark C., Santa Barbara, Calif.
A: I would have to say A.J. Burnett, [Josh] Beckett -- these guys are good.
Club MLB: The guys you have to face regularly because they're in your division.
A: Yeah, this division is loaded with incredible pitching and big league pitchers are big league pitchers, and we never take anyone lightly, but just to mention a few -- Beckett, A.J., [Roy] Halladay. Mariano [Rivera] comes to mind. Those guys are just top notch. It's difficult to execute your plan when you have guys like that on the mound.
Q. Who was your favorite player growing up?
-- Maddie B., Cleveland, Ohio
A: George Bell. And my favorite team was whatever team he was on at the time; I just followed him around. He was a huge hitter for us, coming from the Dominican Republic, he hit all those homers. He was the one who kept me glued to the TV.
Q. Do you take more pride in your offense or your defense?
-- Perry S., Wilmington, De.
A: I would say both. I would lie to you if I said I just wanted to play good defense. I want to hit, too, that's why I loved George Bell and wanted to be like him and do the stuff he did. At the same time, I take incredible pride in my defense. I think the better way to look at things is that I want to be a complete player. So I want to be a good defender and I want to help the ballclub with my bat, so I couldn't really pick one over the other.
Q. What is it you do to stay calm in big situations at the plate?
-- Marlon D., Queens, N.Y.
A: I try to breathe normal. That may seem so simple, but if you think about all the distractions we have -- we have the people, we have the cameras, we start getting too far ahead of ourselves and start thinking of the worst things that could happen, and things just get all distorted. So I go out there and try to breathe normal. It's one of my things, and that should at least bring me back to the present: I'm here, I'm alive, now let's try to see the ball.
Q. Which are your favorite ballparks to play in?
-- Dan T., Minneapolis, Minn.
A: I love Tropicana Field, I really do. Progressive Field is one of my favorite places to play, I think it's beautiful. Safeco Field is gorgeous ...
Club MLB: How about the new Yankee Stadium?
A: Oh, I'm very impressed, I thought they did a great job of keeping the Yankee Stadium look, it's like the old stadium but brand new. It's cool.
Q. What's it like to play for Joe Maddon?
-- Arnold G., Lewiston, Maine
A: Joe is the greatest manager I've ever had. If I had a choice, I'd play for him the rest of my life, you know? I think he's amazing. He knows how to relate to his players, he knows how to communicate; it's really impressive to me the way he can earn our respect and at the same time maintain such a child-like relationship, like a friend. It's so cool how he can be so liked but at the same time, everyone respects him to the ultimate. That is impressive to me to be able to combine those two, since usually it's either one or the other. You feel like he's your best friend, but at the same time you better run that ground ball out or you're going to be on the bench in a hurry.
Q. What's the most important advice you'd give to kids who hope to be in the big leagues one day?
-- Barry K., Elmhurst, Ill.
A: To not be afraid to dream because anything's possible. And to enjoy the game of baseball, to actually have fun. Sometimes we get to caught up in work, work, work -- baseball's a game, we should play it. And this is coming from a man who was up in 2001 for the first time and has been up and down, has had many failures, some successes. And still to this point I just try to enjoy myself, and if I'm enjoying myself, I'm giving myself the best chance possible to be successful. Have good work ethic at all times, but playfully. Never do it to the point where you don't like it, because then you're defeating the purpose.
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
