Carlos Peña facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Carlos Peña |
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Peña broadcasting 2019 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
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| First baseman | |||
| Born: May 17, 1978 Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |
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| debut | |||
| September 5, 2001, for the Texas Rangers | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| July 12, 2014, for the Texas Rangers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .232 | ||
| Home runs | 286 | ||
| Runs batted in | 818 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Carlos Felipe Peña (born May 17, 1978) is a former professional baseball player from the Dominican Republic. He was a first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB). Carlos played for several teams, including the Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays, Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, and Kansas City Royals. After retiring from playing, he became a baseball broadcaster.
Carlos was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. His family is from San Francisco de Macorís. He spent a big part of his childhood growing up in the United States.
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Early Life and College Baseball
Carlos Peña is the second of five children. His family moved from the Dominican Republic to the United States when he was 12 years old. They first lived with one of his uncles.
Carlos graduated from Haverhill High School in Haverhill, Massachusetts, in 1995. He went to Wright State University for a year. Then he transferred to Northeastern University in Boston, where he studied electrical engineering.
While in college, Carlos played in the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL). This league is famous for showing off top amateur players every summer. He played for the Harwich Mariners in 1996 and the Wareham Gatemen in 1997. In 1997, he was named the CCBL's Most Valuable Player (MVP). He was later put into the CCBL Hall of Fame in 2003. During his time at Northeastern, Carlos helped the Northeastern Huskies reach one NCAA tournament. He had a batting average of .324 and hit 24 home runs in two seasons.
Carlos Peña's Professional Baseball Career
Starting with the Texas Rangers
The Texas Rangers picked Carlos Peña in the first round of the 1998 Major League Baseball draft. He was the 10th player chosen overall.
In 1998, Carlos played for three different Rangers minor league teams. Before the 1999 season, Baseball America magazine named him the 93rd best young player to watch. In 1999, he played for the Charlotte Rangers. He hit .255 with 18 home runs in 138 games.
In 2000, Carlos moved up to the Double-A Tulsa Drillers. There, he hit .299 with 28 home runs and 105 RBI in 138 games.
In 2001, Baseball America listed Carlos as the 11th best young player. He was also the Rangers' top young talent. He played for the Oklahoma Redhawks, the Rangers' Triple-A team. In 119 games, he hit .288 with 23 home runs and 74 RBIs. He was also a Triple-A All-Star that year.
After the minor league season in 2001, the Rangers called Carlos up to the big leagues in September. He made his MLB debut on September 5, playing first base. He finished the 2001 season with a .258 batting average and three home runs in 22 games.
Time with the Oakland Athletics
On January 14, 2002, the Rangers traded Carlos Peña to the Oakland Athletics. He played 40 games for the A's, hitting .218 with seven home runs and 16 RBIs.
Carlos was even mentioned in the famous baseball book Moneyball by Michael Lewis. He was also a small character in the movie based on the book.
Playing for the Detroit Tigers
Carlos Peña was part of a big three-team trade on July 6, 2002. He joined the Detroit Tigers. He made his Tigers debut the very next day, getting three hits and two RBIs. In 75 games for the Tigers in 2002, he hit .253 with 12 home runs. Overall that year, he hit .242 with 19 home runs and 52 RBIs.
In 2003, Carlos played his first full season as the Tigers' main first baseman. On May 19, he had an amazing game, hitting three home runs and getting seven RBIs. He played in 131 games, hitting .248 with 18 home runs and 59 RBIs.
In 2004, Carlos had a great year, setting new personal bests in many areas. He played 142 games, hit 27 home runs, and had 82 RBIs. On May 27, 2004, he made Tigers history by getting six hits in one game. This was a career high for him and matched a team record.
Carlos started 2005 as the Tigers' first baseman. After a tough start, he was sent to the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens. He did very well there, hitting .311 with 12 home runs. When he came back to the Tigers, he hit 15 home runs in just 38 games. For the whole season, he played 79 games, hitting .235 with 18 home runs.
The Tigers released Carlos on March 26, 2006. While with the Tigers, he hit the longest home run ever at Comerica Park, traveling 461 feet!
Short Stints with Other Teams
Carlos signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees in April 2006. He played for their Triple-A team, the Columbus Clippers, hitting 19 home runs.
Then, in August 2006, he signed with the Boston Red Sox. He played well for their Triple-A team before joining the Red Sox. On September 4, he hit his only home run for the Red Sox. It was a "walk-off" home run, meaning it won the game in the last inning! He played 18 games for the Red Sox, hitting .273.
Big Success with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays
Carlos Peña signed with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in February 2007. He started slow but became the team's main first baseman. He had an amazing season in 2007, setting many personal bests. He finished with a .282 batting average, 46 home runs, and 121 RBIs. These were all career highs for him. He was second in home runs in the American League.
Because of his great season, Carlos was named the 2007 American League Comeback Player of the Year. He was also considered for the AL MVP award. He even donated $20,000 to help young people in the Dominican Republic.
In 2008, Carlos continued to play well for the Rays (who changed their name from Devil Rays). He hit 31 home runs and had 102 RBIs. One of his home runs was the first ever to be reviewed and confirmed by instant replay in MLB history! After the 2008 season, he won his first Gold Glove Award for being an excellent defensive player. This was also the first Gold Glove for a Tampa Bay Rays player.
Carlos was chosen for the 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. He also took part in the 2009 Home Run Derby. In September 2009, he broke two fingers, which ended his season early. Even so, he finished tied for the most home runs in the American League with 39!
In 2010, Carlos hit 28 home runs and had 84 RBIs for the Rays. His contract with the Rays ended after this season.
Later Career Teams
On December 8, 2010, Carlos signed a one-year contract with the Chicago Cubs. He played 153 games, hitting 28 home runs and 80 RBIs.
Carlos returned to the Tampa Bay Rays for a second time in 2012. On opening day, April 6, 2012, he hit a grand slam and later the game-winning hit against the Yankees! He played 160 games, hitting 19 home runs and 61 RBIs.
In 2013, Carlos signed with the Houston Astros to be their designated hitter. He was later released by the Astros. He then signed a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals and played a few games for them.
In 2014, Carlos signed with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim but was released before the season started. He then signed a minor league deal to return to the Texas Rangers.
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He played 18 games for the Rangers before being released again. After not finding another team, Carlos signed a special one-day contract with the Tampa Bay Rays. This allowed him to officially retire as a member of the team he had so much success with.
Carlos became eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2020, but he did not receive enough votes to be considered further.
Broadcasting Career
After his playing career, Carlos Peña joined MLB Network in December 2014 as a baseball expert. He shares his knowledge and opinions about the game.
In September 2017, Carlos also started working for New England Sports Network (NESN). He appeared as an analyst and sometimes as a color commentator for the Boston Red Sox games.
In 2018, Carlos even appeared on an episode of the TV show Impractical Jokers!
In February 2019, it was announced that Carlos would be a regular part of the NESN broadcast team for the Red Sox. He fills in when other commentators are not available.
Carlos has also worked for Cubs Postgame Live on Marquee Sports Network. In January 2024, he joined the Detroit Tigers broadcast team for Bally Sports Detroit. He provides color commentary for many games.
Personal Life and Charity Work
After the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Carlos Peña helped by donating food and medical supplies. He also made appearances to help raise money for the victims. He said it was about "people uniting for a good cause."
Carlos is also a spokesperson for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. In 2008, he was the Rays' choice for the Roberto Clemente Award. This award is given to players who are great on the field and also do a lot of good in their community. He has also worked with other charity events. Carlos and his wife, Pamela, have three children.
See also
In Spanish: Carlos Peña (beisbolista) para niños
- List of Major League Baseball annual home run leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
- List of Major League Baseball single-game hits leaders
