Manager Tony Pena of the Kansas City Royals argues with home plate umpire C.B. Bucknor in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers on April 15, 2005 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. Pena has been named manager of the Aguilas Cibaenas, replacing Jose Leger. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Staff Reports
World Baseball Network
The Aguilas Cibaenas of the Liga Beisbol Profesional de la Republica Dominicana have fired manager Jose Leger and named longtime MLB catcher and coach Tony Pena to the position.
Under Leger, the Aguilas started the 2023-24 LIDOM season with a 5-11 mark and have been outscored 113-83 thus far. Leger managed the Aguilas to a 32-18 mark in the 2022-23 LIDOM regular season, and the club finished 6-10 in the round robin stage of the playoffs last season.
Pena, 66, is a native of Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic, who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, and Houston Astros, appearing in five All-Star Games and winning four Gold Gloves as a catcher.
He has a long history with the Aguilas Cibaenas, having managed the club from 1997 through 2000, leading the club to two LIDOM championships in the 1997-98 and 1999-2000 seasons.
He previously took over the Kansas City Royals in the middle of the 2002 season, guiding them to a 49-77 record. His best season managing Kansas City came the next year, when the Royals finished 83-79 under Pena’s leadership. He was on a short leash following the Royals’ 58-104 finish in 2004, and was fired after 33 games in 2005 with the team holding an 8-25 record.
After leaving the Royals, he was a coach for the New York Yankees from 2006-17, serving as first base coach and bench coach under managers Joe Torre and Joe Girardi.
Pena also managed a loaded Dominican Republic team to the 2013 World Baseball Classic title, storming through the tournament with an undefeated 8-0 record and defeating Puerto Rico 3-0 in the championship game.
The Aguilas Cibaenas are back in action Tuesday against the Leones del Escogido at 6:30 p.m. EST. They’ll head to New York to play a three-game exhibition series against the Tigres del Licey at Citi Field on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
All LIDOM games are streamed live on MLB.tv with a paid subscription.
