Tampa Bay Rays: Carlos Pena Elected to Ted Williams Hitters Hall of Fame

Tampa Bay Rays’ former slugger, Carlos Pena will be inducted into the Ted Williams Hitters Hall of Fame tomorrow night at Tropicana Field.

Saturday, February 1st at 6:15 an induction ceremony will be held at Tropicana Field for the Ted Williams Museum and Hitters Hall of Fame. Among the inductees is former Tampa Bay Rays’ slugger, Carlos Pena.

Pena led the league in home runs in 2009 and won a silver slugger in 2007. He was honored by being on the National Baseball Hall of Fame’s ballot this year and will now be honored by the Ted Williams Museum and Hitters Hall of Fame with an induction.

Pena broke into the league in 2001 with the Texas Rangers. Between 2001 and 2006 He struggled to find a home, playing for four different teams in his first six seasons.

Over that time he slashed .243/.331/.459 and averaged 14 homers per season.

Pena arrived in Tampa Bay in 2007 at the age of 29 and took advantage of the opportunity and coaching provided by the Rays.

Over the next four seasons, Pena slashed .238/.368/.516. During that time he accumulated 144 home runs which averaged out to 36 per year. He averaged over 100 RBI per season during that span and helped lead the Rays to their only World Series appearance in 2008.

He had over thirty homers in three of those four seasons. In 2007, he led the league in homers with forty-six.

Pena had 100+ RBI in three of the four seasons.

After one year with the cubs, Pena came back home for one more season with the Rays in 2012 at the age of 34. He struggled to a .197 average and a .354 slugging.

Pena played two more seasons before hanging it up for good.

In all, Pena hammered 286 homers and slashed .232/.346/.462 for his career. During a four-year stretch with the Rays he became one of the games most feared sluggers and he is now being honored with an induction into the Ted Williams Museum and Hitters Hall of Fame.

Pena will be inducted along with Greg Luzinski. Mickey Lolich will receive the 2020 Roy Halladay Pitching Achievement Award. Bill Mazeroski will receive the Ted Williams Lifetime Achievement Award.

They will also be honoring some of the Rockford Peaches.

Special Guests include Dale Murphy, Wade Boggs, Carlos Pena, Mickey Lolich, Mike Alstott, Greg Luzinski, Lary Bowa, Charlie Manuel, and others.

Current Rays’ players that will be signing autographs at the event include Brent Honeywell, Joey Wendle, Ryan Yarbrough, and Blake Snell.

You can go to the Ted Williams Museum & Hitters Hall of Fame’s website, or click here for more information.

Congratulations Carlos Pena!