Juan Peña (baseball)
Encyclopedia
Juan Francisco Peña [peh-nya] (born June 27, 1977 in Santo Domingo
, Dominican Republic
) is a former starting pitcher
in Major League Baseball
who played briefly for the Boston Red Sox
during the season. Listed at 6' 5", 215 lb., he batted and threw right-handed.
Peña was a promising young pitcher in the Red Sox organization who sadly had his baseball career shortened after suffering a serious injury. He posted a 2-0 record with a 0.69 ERA
in two starts, giving up one run on nine hits and three walks
while striking out
15 in 13 innings of work.
In spring training
before the 2000 season, Peña was projected for the fifth starting rotation spot. He was 2-2 with a 1.64 ERA in 16⅔ innings, but was hit in the elbow by a line drive and then experienced pain in the elbow during a warmup. An exam confirmed a torn medial collateral ligament in his elbow that required surgery, causing him to miss the season. By 2002, Peña had worked his way back to Triple-A, but he went just 4-11 with a 5.33 ERA, after which the Red Sox let him go. He spent the 2003 season in the Toronto Blue Jays
organization, then spent two seasons pitching in the independent leagues and the Mexican League before retiring in 2005 at the age of 28.
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
, Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
) is a former starting pitcher
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
who played briefly for the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
during the season. Listed at 6' 5", 215 lb., he batted and threw right-handed.
Peña was a promising young pitcher in the Red Sox organization who sadly had his baseball career shortened after suffering a serious injury. He posted a 2-0 record with a 0.69 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
in two starts, giving up one run on nine hits and three walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
while striking out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
15 in 13 innings of work.
In spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
before the 2000 season, Peña was projected for the fifth starting rotation spot. He was 2-2 with a 1.64 ERA in 16⅔ innings, but was hit in the elbow by a line drive and then experienced pain in the elbow during a warmup. An exam confirmed a torn medial collateral ligament in his elbow that required surgery, causing him to miss the season. By 2002, Peña had worked his way back to Triple-A, but he went just 4-11 with a 5.33 ERA, after which the Red Sox let him go. He spent the 2003 season in the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
organization, then spent two seasons pitching in the independent leagues and the Mexican League before retiring in 2005 at the age of 28.