Tampa Bay Rays All Time 25 Man Roster
By David Hill
First Base: Carlos Pena (2007-2010, 2012)
If not for an injury to Greg Norton, Carlos Pena may have never had the chance to become the best first baseman in Tampa Bay Rays history.
After spending most of the 2006 season in the minors, Pena had been signed by the Rays to a minor league contract. However, on the last day of Spring Training, Norton injured his knee, requiring surgery. Pena was called up to the active roster, and after a slow start, began to hit. That set the stage for his first four seasons with the Rays, where he became a key part of their lineup. He would hit a career high 46 homers that season, the first of three consecutive years with 30 or more home runs.
Pena received plenty of recognition during that time. He won a Silver Slugger Award and made the 2009 All Star Game. Twice, he finished ninth in the MVP balloting. While his second time in a Rays uniform was not as successful, Pena still established himself as one of the better players in team history. Overall, he had a .230/.360/.483 batting line, hitting 163 home runs.
But Pena was more than just a power threat. He was also a key part of the Rays focus on defense, saving the infielders countless errors. He won a Gold Glove for his efforts in 2008, the year that the Rays made the World Series. In fact, that glove was a part of the reason he was brought back in 2012.
Carlos Pena was a lot more than a one dimensional slugger. His glove at first base, and his ability to hit for power, helped lift Tampa Bay out of the cellar.