Wily Mo Pena. One “L,” no “E.” “Mo” is short for Modesto. Get it right.
In the vein of Joe Hardy, who led the Nats to the World Series in the 1950’s over those damn Yankees — at least on stage and screen — Pena brings an almost mythical ability to hit home runs to Washington. His actual big league stats display some long ball aptitude, but his average of 24 home runs every 162 games is somewhat less than legendary.
General manager Jim Bowden has openly coveted Wily Mo since he arrived in town, but the price was always too high. Pena began his career as a Yankee prospect — his original signing with the Mets as a 16-year-old amateur was voided by the commissioner’s office. Bowden traded for him the first time in 2001, with the Reds sending future NFL quarterback Drew Henson to New York. The Reds sent Pena to the Red Sox for pitcher Bronson Arroyo prior to the 2006 season, a deal that worked out better for Cincinnati last year when Arroyo went 14-11, 3.29, and pitched in the All-Star Game. Pena did okay as a 2006 part-timer in Boston, hitting a career-high .301 in 84 games, but hit just 11 homers.
That the Nats acquired Wily Mo for a player-to-be-named-later may mean no more than that Boston simply couldn’t find sufficient playing time for him, and needed to free up a spot on the big league roster. It could also mean they came to believe he’s already reached his performance ceiling.
One NL scout I speak with frequently says Pena needs to know it’s not against the rules for the pitcher to put spin on the ball. “He’s deadly when a breaking ball hangs high, but he’s a pretty easy out when the pitcher gets the ball to sink,” he told me. “He’s really not very disciplined at the plate.” Pena strikes out about 4 times for every time he walks, but that’s the kind of stat that can be turned around with a little extra work and at 25, Pena would seem to have the time for it.
Pena’s arrival would seem to indicate a platoon situation with Ryan Church may be under discussion. Church strikes out a little less than Pena, but much like Wily Mo, is another player whose potential thus far has far outweighed his actual production.
We’ve seen the local team acquire a big, free-swinging slugger before. When the Senators got Frank Howard from the Dodgers in 1965 he was 28 years old, and coming off a year where he had batted .226 with 24 home runs and 69 RBI, while striking out 113 times against 51 walks, numbers that pretty much mirror Pena’s projected full-season stats. Hondo continued to strike out in Washington, but hit a lot more home runs as the years went by, and eventually learned patience at the plate under Ted Williams.
Nationals’ hitting coach Lenny Harris — who coincidentally wears Williams’ number 9 — has had significant success with several hitters on the current roster, and there’s no reason to think he won’t tweak Pena’s approach at the plate as well. As we’ve already seen, Wily Mo can hit the ball a very long way — Howardian clouts, if you will.
One last thing — is it time to institute a quota system for ex-Reds on this team?
Hear Phil Wood Saturdays at 10 a.m. on SportsTalk 980 AM and weekly on Comcast SportsNet’s WPL through the World Series.
