June 9, 200521 yr http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/...t=.jsp&c_id=cin CINCINNATI -- Wily Mo Pena's "Bobblehead Night" storyline was perfect. The bobblehead itself? Eh, not so much. "My head and face ... I like that," Pena said of his miniature self. "But the chest made me look like a little fat guy." The only thing fat about the real-life Pena on Wednesday night was his contribution in the Reds' 11-9 comeback win over the Devil Rays at Great American Ball Park. Pena launched two of his characteristically monstrous home runs, the latter and longer of which -- a two-run, 428-footer off Danys Baez that sailed into the upper deck in left field -- provided the walk-off victory in the bottom of the ninth. "Everybody was cheering and [shaking] the bobblehead and saying, 'Wily Mo, Wily Mo,'" said Pena, who went 3-for-5. "I was happy for the fans and everybody and for the team." Now excuse that team if it puts in an order for bobblehead likenesses of the rest of the roster. "Pepsi should have 'Bobblehead Night' every night for somebody, if that's the way it's going to go," Ken Griffey Jr. said of the Reds' bobblehead sponsor. Maybe that's not the best idea, as Griffey himself went 0-for-6 on the night of his bobblehead's release a couple weeks back. But for Pena, who was playing just his second game since coming off the disabled list, the figurine had a fine effect. "It was scripted very well for Wily Mo," manager Dave Miley said. Midway through this night of high drama and lowly pitching, though, the script was all too familiar for the Reds. Left-hander Eric Milton had little trouble early on, with Nick Green's RBI double in the second serving as his only major mistake through four innings of work. Pena's solo shot in the second and Joe Randa's two-run blast in the third off Doug Waechter backed Milton up nicely. Then came the hurt that so often seems inevitable when Milton is on the mound this season. He let Green aboard with a walk to begin the fifth and catcher Jason LaRue was unable to get the forceout at second on Waechter's sacrifice bunt. That opened the door for Carl Crawford's RBI double and Julio Lugo's bases-loading single. "It might have played out different if we can make that bunt play," Miley said. Instead, it played out like this: Eduardo Perez stepped up and turned Milton's 2-0 pitch into a deflating grand slam to left. Alex Gonzalez's sac fly later in the inning all but ended Milton's night and put the Reds in a 7-3 hole. Pena Power Devil Rays at Reds, June 8 After going 3-for-5 with a pair of homers and three RBIs, Wily Mo Pena is batting .333 with eight homers, through June 8. His complete line: AB R H HR RBI AVG 5 3 3 2 3 .333 Pena increased his season RBI total to 16 and career total to 99, through June 8. He now has 40 homers in his career. Wednesday was Pena's second multihomer game of the season (April 20) and fifth in his career. "At that point, I thought I had cost us the game," Milton said. It sure looked that way. And it didn't help that even as the Reds put up another run off Waechter in the sixth and a run off Chad Orvella in the seventh, right-hander Ricky Stone let the Rays tack onto their lead with a pair of runs in the seventh. But this was a night in which no lead was safe, because no pitcher was unhittable. The Reds proved that in the eighth, when Pena sparked a rally with a leadoff single off Lee Gardner. Adam Dunn followed with a two-run blast to center, and pinch-hitter Jacob Cruz followed Dunn with a solo shot to left. Just like that, it was a 9-8 game. And just like that, a Reds team that has consistently fallen apart in the face of early deficits was on the verge of erasing a big hole for the second time in as many nights. Call it a sign that last week's 1-5 road trip and unexpected visit from COO John Allen provided a mental spark. Or call it simple good fortune that in this Interleague series the Reds are facing a team with one of baseball's worst records. Either way, Pena was about to call it a storybook ending. After David Weathers (3-0) got the Rays to go down quietly in the ninth, the Reds set their sights on a comeback against Baez (4-2). Ryan Freel got it going with a leadoff single, and Randa drew a walk. The Reds' hopes were dashed a tad when Sean Casey hit into a big double play, but Ken Griffey Jr. quickly tied it up with an RBI single on a hard grounder to right. Now those remaining in the crowd of 32,019 rose to their feet, bobbleheads in hand, to greet the gargantuan Pena as he strode to the plate. And when he seamlessly lofted Baez's 2-2 pitch to deep left with noticeable ease, the perfect story was complete. "That was a great game for everybody," Pena said. "I hope I'm the hero tomorrow night, too. I hope tomorrow's another 'Bobblehead Night,' and I can have another good game." The "little fat guy" gave himself a tough act to follow. Anthony Castrovince is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Yes he did that but look at this! W Pena CIN OF 21 57 13 19 7 0 8 16 50 2 18 0 0 .367 .877 .333 HE HAS 8 HOMERS IN 57 AT BATS! THAT IS AMAZING!
June 9, 200521 yr i agree with you, i wrote a while back ago that since the reds are trading away there players we should really try to go after this guy cause he is going to be a great player for years to come
June 9, 200521 yr Author I picked up Wily Mo and dropped Burnitz.... good move? 802169[/snapback] I would say yes.
June 9, 200521 yr i agree with you, i wrote a while back ago that since the reds are trading away there players we should really try to go after this guy cause he is going to be a great player for years to come 802167[/snapback] Why exactly, would the Reds move Pena? Wouldnt you think they would move Kearns (for his innefectiveness) or Dunn (arb is going to kill the reds)? Pena is cheap, loves Cincy and works hard. He is most likely #1 on the "dont bother asking" list.
June 9, 200521 yr Author i agree with you, i wrote a while back ago that since the reds are trading away there players we should really try to go after this guy cause he is going to be a great player for years to come 802167[/snapback] Why exactly, would the Reds move Pena? Wouldnt you think they would move Kearns (for his innefectiveness) or Dunn (arb is going to kill the reds)? Pena is cheap, loves Cincy and works hard. He is most likely #1 on the "dont bother asking" list. 802206[/snapback] Couldn't have said it better myself. There are only 3 or 4 guys the reds wont trade, he along with Harang and Lopez are probably the only three guys they wont trade.
June 9, 200521 yr It's really cool when a player does very good during the game that they hand out bobbleheads of him.
June 9, 200521 yr It's really cool when a player does very good during the game that they hand out bobbleheads of him. 802556[/snapback] How'd Ryan Dempster do in his Marlins bobblehead game?
June 9, 200521 yr It's really cool when a player does very good during the game that they hand out bobbleheads of him. 802556[/snapback] How'd Ryan Dempster do in his Marlins bobblehead game? 802564[/snapback] Very bad if I recall correctly...but he's not a marlin anymore, so whatever.
June 10, 200521 yr But he is horrific in the outfield That said, send Enc, Bump and Kensing to Cincy for Wily Mo. Can't hurt.
June 10, 200521 yr Author But he is horrific in the outfield That said, send Enc, Bump and Kensing to Cincy for Wily Mo. Can't hurt. 803280[/snapback] So is Manny, and Miguel, and alot of other great hitters. He does have a cannon of an arm though.
June 10, 200521 yr Willy Mo can kill the ball..last year he was pretty much a backup for Griffey.. now I believe he is platooning w/ Austin Kearns.. imagine if he were a full-time player..
June 10, 200521 yr It's really cool when a player does very good during the game that they hand out bobbleheads of him. 802556[/snapback] How'd Ryan Dempster do in his Marlins bobblehead game? 802564[/snapback] Very bad if I recall correctly...but he's not a marlin anymore, so whatever. 802571[/snapback] You're not serious, are you?
June 10, 200521 yr It's really cool when a player does very good during the game that they hand out bobbleheads of him. 802556[/snapback] who was it that got ejected on his bobblehead day?
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