Carlos' Corner: Family first
Daily chats with siblings keep Peņa smiling
By Carlos Peņa / Special to MLB.com
Carlos Peņa, a 23-year-old rookie heralded as one of the top
prospects in the game, was acquired by Oakland during the offseason
in a six-player trade with Texas. He's replacing Jason Giambi as the
A's first baseman and is providing for MLB.com an exclusive daily
diary for the 2002 season.
Before Saturday's game against the Angels, Peņa talked about his
daily conversations with brothers Pedro and Omar and sister Femaris.
OAKLAND, Calif. -- The first thing that went through my head today
was, "I have to call Pedro," and I had a great conversation with him
today before I came to the ballpark. That's always an excellent way
to begin my day.
I talk to my family as much as I possibly can, because after God,
family is No. 1 for me. I can't overstate how important it is to be
in regular contact with them. They're my support system, and without
them I'm nothing. Nothing.
They make me me, if you know what I mean. So maintaining those
relationships is essential.
I love to talk to my brothers and sister. Pedro is 21, and he's an
outfielder at Old Dominion. I swear, this guy knows more about
hitting than I do, and he's a very funny guy. Omar is 20 and he's a
shortstop at Northeastern, which is where I played. I talk with them
about baseball and hitting all the time. They're younger than me, but
they really know my style, my swing. So if they see something when
they watch me and want to bring it up or offer a suggestion, I'm all
ears. And they'll call me for advice, too.
Both of my brothers are very funny, actually, but the reason I had to
call Pedro today is because last night he left a message getting on
me about a play last night. I popped up with a runner on second base
and sprinted around the bases like there was nobody on. I was almost
to second when the second baseman caught the ball.
Smart play with nobody on, very dumb play with someone on second. I
can always count on Pedro to notice when I do something dumb, and he
doesn't just notice it. He reminds me of it.
My sister, Femaris, is also 20. She's at Boston College. She's a
dancer -- ballet. She's the greatest. Very sweet, very smart. I might
have baseball in common with my brothers, but that doesn't make me
closer to them than to Femaris, because what we all have in common is
love, and that's all that really matters.
It's so awesome to have what I have with my family, and the thing I
love the most is the way every single conversation ends. It's the
most important thing. Either I will say it first or they will, but
the last thing we say to each other is, "Hey, I love you. I'm here
for you. I've got your back."
Those simple little words mean so much to me. They give me
confidence. They give me peace. They make everything make sense.
Carlos Peņa's diary appears as told to Mychael Urban, who covers the
Oakland A's for MLB.com.
