1991 Topps #375 Tony Pena

In this series, I look at my first team set: 1991 Topps. This was the set I started my baseball card collection with.

I have always liked catchers.  I was aware that Tony Pena was the Red Sox catcher coming off of the 1990 season.  I previously had one card of Pena, a 1990 Topps Big card.  This is the first card of Pena that I got that featured him in his catcher's gear.

Pena had been an All Star catcher and Gold Glove winner for the Pirates and Cardinals before joining the Red Sox as a free agent.  He actually received some MVP votes in 1990, finishing 21st in the balloting.  It was his intangibles, his veteran leadership, and his ability behind the plate that helped the team the most and got him his recognition in the MVP vote.  He only hit .263/.322/.348 with seven home runs and 56 RBIs in 1990, not bad numbers for a catcher, but not particularly good either.

Pena would win the Gold Glove award in 1991, the second Red Sox catcher to do so.

I do like this card quite a bit.  Mostly because of the catchers' gear, but it appears this is after a play at the plate or a wild pitch.  There is some dust that has been kicked up and Pena looks pretty intense.

Failed Prospects Pt. 13: Juan Pena

Juan Pena was once one of Boston's most highly-touted pitching prospects.  He ended up making his Major League debut in 1999 after performing well for a few years in the minors.  He made it into two games for the Red Sox and performed really well.  He won both of his starts, pitching 13 innings in the two starts while striking out 15 and walking three.  His ERA was a remarkable 0.69.  It was really an incredible start to his career.

Unfortunately that was pretty much it for Pena.  He missed the entire 2000 season due to injuries.  He was never the same after that.  He continued to pitch in the Red Sox system for another couple of years before moving to the Blue Jays system.  He never made it back to the Major Leagues though.

Injuries did Pena in.  It's a shame.  He had a very promising start.

Underrated Player of the Year: 2006

In this series, I look at one player per year from 1991-the present who came out of nowhere or had a great year that no one really noticed or expected. 

The trade that brought Wily Mo Pena to Boston was not a particularly good one.  The Red Sox sent Bronson Arroyo who was starting to make a name for himself after a decent 2005 to the Reds for Pena.  The Red Sox needed some more offense and thought they had a surplus of starting pitching and Arroyo was signed to a reasonable contract.

However, Pena had a decent season in 2006.  He definitely provided the power that the Red Sox hoped for, with 11 home runs in only 84 games.  He also provided a decent batting average and on-base percentage, ending up with a slash line of .301/.349/.489.  

He could always hit, but he had more than a few adventures on the fielding side of things.  Pena was pressed into full-time duty when Coco Crisp went down with an injury.  He was miscast as a center fielder during this period.

I saw Pena play in Kansas City that year and he absolutely crushed a home run that nearly left the stadium.

Unfortunately Pena would not play nearly as well in 2007 and he was eventually traded to the Nationals for Chris Carter.

Season in Review: 1991

1991 was the first season I watched baseball.  I was 10.  I do not remember watching too many games that season.  More than anything, I just collected cards.  The Red Sox finished in second place in the A.L. East that season.  Joe Morgan managed the team in his final season as the team's manager.

FIVE FAVORITE PLAYERS:
Wade Boggs: 
Boggs was my first favorite player.  He was far and away the team's best hitter, even though he did not have a lot of power.  In 1991, he hit .332/..421/.460 with eight home runs and 51 RBIs and 42 doubles.  Boggs finished second in the batting race that year and made the All Star team.

Ellis Burks:
Burks was the best pure athlete on the team in 1991.  Coming off a season in which he won the Gold Glove and the Silver Slugger, Burks slumped quite a bit in 1991.  He hit only .251/.314/.422 with 14 home runs, 56 RBIs, and six stolen bases.  Far cries from his previous seasons.  The talent was still there, he just did not play well.

Roger Clemens:
Clemens was without a doubt the best and most popular player on the team by this point in his career.  Clemens won his third Cy Young award in 1991 by going 18-10 with a 2.62 ERA and 241 strikeouts.  He lead the league in ERA, strikeouts, games started, shutouts, and innings pitched.  He also made the All Star team in 1991.

Mike Greenwell:
Greenwell was no longer the great hitter he was in 1988 and 1989, but he was still pretty decent.  Greenwell hit .300/.350/.419 with nine home runs and 83 RBIs.  He lead the team with 15 stolen bases.  He finished second on the team in most offensive categories.

Carlos Quintana:
Quintana was playing in just his second full season with the Red Sox in 1991 and had already shown himself to be a decent contact hitter and a surprisingly good defensive first baseman.  He hit .295/.375/.412 with 11 home runs and 71 RBIs.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Tony Pena:
Pena was fascinating to watch behind the plate.  He had one of the most bizarre crouches of any catcher I have seen.  Pena was not much of a hitter, but he was a good defensive catcher and won the Gold Glove in 1991.  Pena lead the league in a number of defensive categories in 1991.

Jeff Reardon:
I have long been a fan of closers and that the case from the start as Reardon was the closer for the Red Sox in 1991.  He had his tenth season in a row of 20+ saves and saved 40+ games for his third team.  Reardon saved 40 games, setting a team record that would last several seasons.  He also made the All Star team.


Jody Reed:
Reed was a scrappy second baseman with doubles power and a good eye at the plate.  He was a pesky contact hitter who hit .283/.349/.382.  He was a reliable defender at second base and also had his third straight season of more than 40 doubles.

FAVORITE ACQUISITION:
Jack Clark:
Clark was acquired as a free agent from the Padres prior to the year.  He was the Red Sox's best power hitter, leading the team with 28 home runs and 87 RBIs from the designated hitter position.  He hit .249/.374/.466 in 1991 and lead the team with 96 walks.

FAVORITE ROOKIE:
Phil Plantier:
Plantier only made it into 53 games for the Red Sox down the stretch but he played so well that his cards were on fire.  He hit .331/.420/.615/1.034 with 11 home runs and 35 RBIs.  Unfortunately he really did not have a position as the Red Sox had reliable starters at all three outfield positions and designated hitter.

Catchers

I have always been partial to catchers. It's probably due to the fact that a catcher's job is markedly different and much more difficult than perhaps any other position. A catcher is in charge of calling the pitches and keeping an eye on the baserunners. He is also the last obstacle between a baserunner and scoring a run. It could also be the cool equipment.

Anyway, as a Red Sox fan and a fan of catchers in general, I always keep a close eye on the player behind the plate. I have been paying close attention since 1991. In that time, Boston has had a number of different starting catchers and backups. Out of pure boredom, I wanted to look at them.

THE STARTERS:
TONY PENA
Tony Pena was the Red Sox starting catcher when I first started paying attention to baseball. Pena was not much with the bat, but he was a tremendous defensive catcher with a strong throwing arm. Beyond that, he had such an interesting catching stance that it was hard not to be intrigued by him. Pena won the Gold Glove in 1991 as the best fielding catcher in the league that year.

DAVE VALLE
Dave Valle was brought to the Red Sox for the 1994 season. Pena was allowed to leave as a free agent the prior year and Valle was supposed to be his replacement. Valle had a reputation as having a decent bat, but not being a real great defensive catcher. But in Boston, he was not able to contribute on either side of the plate. He was ultimately traded to Milwaukee after 30 games for Tom Brunansky.

DAMON BERRYHILL
Damon Berryhill, like Dave Valle, was acquired for the 1994 season. Unlike Valle, Berryhill was able to stick through the year. He was also not a great hitter, although he did bat .263/.312/.416/.727 with six home runs. Adequate numbers for a more defensive position. Berryhill was not a terribly effective defensive catcher though and did not hit well enough to make up for it. He was gone after the year.

MIKE MACFARLANE
Longtime Royal Mike Macfarlane was the next player brought in to be the starting catcher. Macfarlane also lasted only one year with Boston, but he brought significantly more home run power. His 15 home runs in 1995 were the most by a Red Sox catcher since Rich Gedman hit 16 in 1986. Unfortunately that was about the only part of his offensive game that was an improvement. He did catch 35% of runners attempting to steal, the best mark by a Red Sox catcher since Pena.

MIKE STANLEY
Next up was Mike Stanley who was one of the best players the Red Sox took from the Yankees in decades. Stanley had been an All Star with New York when he hit 26 home runs in 1993. He almost matched his power numbers in his first year with Boston, hitting 24 home runs with a slash line of .270/.383/.506/.889. Unfortunately, he was not nearly as impressive behind the plate and the next year became a first-baseman/designated hitter.

SCOTT HATTEBERG
Scott Hatteberg was the first starting catcher developed by the Boston Red Sox since Gedman. Hatteberg came up at the end of 2006 and became the starting catcher in 2007. Hatteberg had the rare ability in catchers to draw a lot of walks. With Boston, his OBP was an impressive .357. Hatteberg's problem though was his inability to throw out baserunners, his caught-stealing percentage was a low 21%.

JASON VARITEK
When it was determined that Hatteberg simply could not throw out runners attempting to steal, Jason Varitek became the starting catcher. Varitek was acquired in a terrific trade with the Seattle Mariners in 1997 and quickly became a rising star. Varitek could draw a walk, hit with power, and was a strong defensive catcher. Injuries curtailed his promising career somewhat in 2001 and it took until 2003 before he started to really impress again. He was a 3-time All Star, Boston's first All Star catcher since Gedman, won a Silver Slugger, and a Gold Glove. He has caught a record four no-hitters, and is considered a great game-caller. He gracefully moved to a backup role in 2009. Varitek will one day be in the Red Sox Hall of Fame.

VICTOR MARTINEZ
Victor Martinez was acquired in a blockbust deadline deal from Cleveland in 2009. Boston wanted a better hitter behind the plate as Varitek's best days were behind him. Martinez certainly qualified. Though he had a little trouble with throwing out runners early in 2010, Martinez's bat carried him. He batted .313/.368/.497/.865 with 28 home runs and 120 RBIs in his short season and a half with Boston. He was not brought back after 2010 due to his expense and the unlikelihood that he would be able to continue at catcher.

JARROD SALTALAMACCHIA
Jarrod Saltalamacchia was long coveted by the Red Sox front office. Theo Epstein saw an opportunity to acquire him at the deadline in 2010 and swooped in, giving up three minor leaguers with little chance of developing into stars to the Texas Rangers in one of the quieter moves of the deadline. Saltalamacchia did not play much in 2010 and started off very slowly in 2011. Since then, he has started to come into his own. He currently has 13 home runs and has become a much better defender as the season has worn on. One of the great questions is whether Saltalamacchia will continue to have a chance in Boston due to the development of Ryan Lavarnway.

THE BACK UPS:
JOHN MARZANO
Hard to imagine but at one point John Marzano was a first round draft pick. I am not sure he really fulfilled the expectations of the front office. Marzano was a serviceable backup for several years with the Red Sox, though it was not until 1990 that he really stuck with the big league club. He did not have a lot of power outside of hitting five home runs in 1987, his first chance with the team. He was an adequate defensive catcher and that is the only thing that kept him with the team. After being released by Boston in 1993, he did not make it back to the Major Leagues until 1995.

BOB MELVIN
Bob Melvin became the backup to Tony Pena in 1993 after Marzano was released. Melvin was a journeyman catcher with the Tigers, Giants, Orioles, and Royals before joining Boston. Melvin really did not provide much more than a warm body behind the plate in his short time with Boston. He was not particularly good at any aspect of the game. He and Pena provided pathetic offense at the position in 1993.

RICH ROWLAND
Rich Rowland was acquired in a challenge trade of young catchers from Detroit. Boston gave up John Flaherty who had some promise but had yet to harness it. Rowland was already 30 and a career minor leaguer to that point, but he had some power. Rowland hit nine home runs as the backup catcher in 1994 with a .483 slugging percentage. His defense was decent as he caught 36% of attempted base stealers. Unfortunately he did not hit at all in 1995 and was quickly forgotten.

BILL HASELMAN
Bill Haselman, the longtime Rangers backup and Nolan Ryan's personal catcher, came to Boston after the 1994 season and cemented the backup catcher position. Haselman was decent with the stick and adequate behind the plate. He hit .252/.313/.409/.722 in parts of four seasons. He once hit a broken-bat home run over the Green Monster in left. He started the 1997 season as the starting catcher before injuries caught up with him. At the time, he was among the league leaders in doubles, but did not play much the rest of the year. After the year he was traded to Texas. He returned briefly in 2003.

DOUG MIRABELLI
Doug Mirabelli is perhaps the most famous backup catcher in Red Sox history. Acquired in 2001 when Jason Varitek went down with an injury and Scott Hatteberg's throwing problems became too glaring, Mirabelli settled into a decent role. He had a good year in 2001, hitting .270/.360/.518/.877 with nine home runs down the stretch. He became Tim Wakefield's personal catcher with his ability to catch the knuckleball and was one of the best-hitting backup catchers for several years. He and Varitek made quite the pair. Mirabelli put up am .893 OPS in 2004. His bat slowed after that, but he was still highly-regarded. He was traded after the 2006 season, but was re-acquired after Josh Bard could not catch a knuckleball and was famously police-escorted to the ballpark to catch Wakefield. He was released for good prior to the 2008 season.

KEVIN CASH
During the 2007 season, Kevin Cash proved he too could catch the knuckleball. Cash was not much of a hitter but became the backup catcher for the 2008 season after Mirabelli was released. Cash was a better defensive catcher than Mirabelli and at the point was a bit more reliable with the bat. He hit a dramatic postseason home run for the Red Sox during the ALCS against Tampa Bay. He moved on to the Yankees after the season but returned briefly during the 2010 season.

GEORGE KOTTARAS
Originally acquired from the Padres in 2006 when the Red Sox traded David Wells, it took Kottaras until 2008 to make his Major League Debut. He became the principal backup in 2009 when he also showed the ability to catch Wakefield's knuckler. Kottaras did not hit much, hitting only .237/.308/.387/.696 with one home run, but he was a decent defensive catcher. He developed a bit more power after being selected off waivers by the Brewers.

One-Year Wonder Pt. 12: Carlos Pena

Every once in awhile, the Red Sox pick up a veteran player for a year, or just the stretch run that was a star at one point that I become fascinated with. It's a player that is basically only a role player at that point in their career, but may show flashes of their old brilliance. It's so unusual to see them as a member of the Red Sox, that I try to find as many of their cards as possible. This series will be about some of those players.

CARLOS PENA
Carlos Pena played for the Red Sox? Yep, for 18 games in 2006, the Rays nemesis was with the Red Sox. This was of course before he really became the power-hitting first baseman we think about now. The once highly-touted prospect bounced around a few times, never really finding his niche. Boston was his last stop before finally finding a home in Florida.

He was not too bad in Boston, hitting .273/.351/.424. He did hit one home run and was okay in the field. After the year, Pena was allowed to leave as a free agent. Kevin Youkilis was already firmly entrenched as the starting first-baseman, so Pena did not have a position. Too bad. The next year, he hit 46 home runs and finally became the home run threat he was always rumored to be.

Unknown Heroes Pt. 19: Tony Pena

Okay, Tony Pena was not an "unknown" per se. However, he was past his prime by the time he got to Boston and he certainly was not one of the better hitters on the team. Pena was overshadowed by Wade Boggs, Mike Greenwell, Ellis Burks, and others. But Pena's real value was his defense behind the plate.

Pena was a fun player to watch, with his unusual catching stance which involved him stretching one leg out to his side. Despite this, he was a strong thrower, throwing out between 32 and 37% of base stealers in his four years with Boston. Pena won the Gold Glove in 1991 with the Red Sox, the last Red Sox player to do so until fellow catcher Jason Varitek in 2005. That year, he lead the league in putouts and runners caught.

Unfortunately, his bat was never as impressive as his glove, particularly in 1993, his final year when he put up an embarrassing .502 OPS. He certainly was not the same player as he was with Pittsburgh and St. Louis when he was an All Star several times and widely considered one of the best hitting catchers in the league. But Boston did not bring him to the team for his offense. It was his defense they were after and Pena certainly delivered.

Red Sox Acquire Tony Pena Jr.

Link.

Tony Pena Jr. has converted to a reliever after being one of the worst offensive players in recent memory. He comes to the Red Sox with just one year pitching in the minors under his belt. He may be an interesting player to follow.

His father caught for Boston for four years and was one of my early favorite players.

Boxscore: August 8, 2006: Royals 6 vs. Red Sox 4

This is, to this date, the last Red Sox game I have attended. My friend from work and I went down to Kansas City to see the Red Sox take on the Royals. This was during a particularly cold streak for Boston and they could not win a single game against the Royals that series. Injuries had decimated the team and the pitching was particularly hurt.

Jon Lester started the game, but he was a rookie and was very wild. He pitched five innings, giving up four runs, three walks, and five strikeouts. Of course, the bullpen was pretty bad and Craig Hansen and Rudy Seanez each gave up a run. Julian Tavarez also pitched in the game.

The big bright spot for the game was Wily Mo Pena who hit a ball so hard that the outfielders did not even move. The ball landed on top of the concession stand and was one of the furthest hit home runs in Kaufman Stadium history. David Ortiz also hit a home run in the game, his 41st. Manny Ramirez, Alex Gonzalez, and recent pickup Javy Lopez each had two hits in the game. Mike Lowell and Kevin Youkilis also each had a hit. Ramirez, Lopez, Youkilis, and Gonzalez each had a double. Coco Crisp stole a base, and Mark Loretta and Alex Cora each had two hitless at-bats.

The Royals simply played better than the Red Sox that game.

Boxscore: May 26, 2006 Red Sox 8 vs. Devil Rays 4

This is the only game so far that I have attended at Fenway Park.

My parents took me to Boston as a gift for graduating from law school. We spent a long weekend there doing a bunch of tourist stuff. The main reason for going though was to see this game. We were lucky to see a game at all as it was raining pretty hard immediately before the game.

David Wells started the game and pitched pretty well for 4.1 innings until being taken out after a line drive caught him in the knee. He gave up five hits and one earned run on a home run to Carl Crawford. Julian Tavarez came in to pitch 2.1 innings to pick up the win. He gave up two more runs. Keith Foulke pitched .1 innings and gave up another run. Rudy Seanez then came in to pitch 1.2 innings and handed it off to Jonathan Papelbon, the rookie closer who saved the game, getting the last out. The Red Sox bullpen got the job done, but it was pretty ugly. That was not a good year for the bullpen other than Papelbon.

The offensive star was Mike Lowell who had three hits, including a home run and a double. He drove in two runs. David Ortiz also added a double and single, driving in four. The other two runs were driven in by Mark Loretta and Trot Nixon. Kevin Youkilis, Jason Varitek, and Wily Mo Pena each had a single and a run. Alex Gonzalez had three hits and a run. Manny Ramirez also had a single and Willie Harris appeared as a defensive replacement for Pena.

All in all, this was a great game and is still the only time I have been to Fenway Park.