NATIONALS NOTEBOOK
Peña Trade Reunites Reds Of Yesteryear
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Saturday, August 18, 2007
Washington Nationals General Manager Jim Bowden swears the acquisition of outfielder Wily Mo Peña is not part of any plan to reassemble the Cincinnati Reds squad of earlier this decade. Bowden was the general manager of the Reds from 1992 to 2003 and, late in his tenure, saw many of the same names in the team's lineup as he sees now with the Nationals.
Right fielder Austin Kearns and shortstop Felipe Lopez played together for the Reds from 2003 until they were traded to the Nationals on July 13, 2006. By then, Bowden was calling the shots for Washington, just as he was yesterday when the Nationals acquired Peña from the Boston Red Sox for a player to be named. The 25-year-old outfielder was with the Reds organization beginning in 2001 before being traded to the Red Sox before the 2006 season.
Now, the gang is back together again, but not by any preordained plan of Bowden's. "It's not by any design. We don't want that to happen," Bowden said. "Sometimes, it happens if the price is right and you know what you're getting, but it's not by any design."
Lopez had a different view. Peña "knows that Jim likes him; it was the same thing with me," he said. "It was not a surprise when [Peña] became available that Jim jumped all over him."
According to Lopez, it was understandable for Bowden to pick up a hitter like Peña. Though Peña batted only .218 with five home runs and 17 RBI for the Red Sox, he played in just 73 games. Lopez said he remembered the raw power Peña possessed when he was with the Reds and said a change of scenery might reignite that ability.
Kearns was part of an outfield platoon with Peña toward the end of his time with the Reds. In addition to confirming that Peña "is a good dude," he also found the Cincinnati connection interesting.
"It's kind of funny. Somebody said something about that earlier today," he said. "We look forward to having him."
When asked how long it would be before Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn stroll through the Nationals' clubhouse door, Kearns laughed in a manner that suggested he would not be all that surprised to see it happen.
