 12/13/2003 5:12 PM ET
Peña: Santiago's quite the catch
Royals skipper hails addition of veteran backstop
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By Robert Falkoff / MLB.com
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 Tony Peña on MLB.com Radio: 56K | 300K
KANSAS CITY -- Tony Peña has had a lot of good times in New Orleans, having managed the Triple-A New Orleans to a first-place finish in the Eastern Division of the Pacific Coast League in 2001.
The Royals' skipper was back in New Orleans for the Winter Meetings on Saturday, happily talking about his new starting catcher, Benito Santiago.
The 2004 Royals will have 18 years of Major League catching experience in the dugout with Peña. And they'll have 18 years of Major League catching experience behind the plate with Santiago. From Peña's viewpoint, it should be a most pleasant combination.
"I know people are probably thinking about how he's 38 years old, but I still think that Benito can go out and play every day," Peña said. "He's going to bring a lot of experience and he'll deal with our young pitchers."
The Royals enjoyed their first winning since 1994 with Brent Mayne and Mike DiFelice behind the plate in 2003. But they'll have a completely new tandem next season. Kansas City wanted to upgrade offensively and Santiago is coming off a season in which he hit .279. The Royals are looking to add a backup catcher with strong catch-and-throw skills to complement Santiago.
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