Wily Mo Roosevelt

"Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far"
-Theodore Roosevelt


This is one my favorite all-time quotes and I think it applies nicely to Wall of Man member, Wily Mo Pena. I haven't had a chance to comment on his departure from my beloved Sox yet - while I did a bit of speculation before the trade actually occurred. Mostly, I'm just happy for the guy. He always seemed... a bit simple, but more importantly he was reportedly one of the most gracious and polite members of team. He played hard, but still carried himself with an air of ease and coolness and that's why I picked this quote out for him. His departure was fairly sudden (while not unexpected) and could have easily been a bitter break-up. It wasn't. Check out this post he put in the Boston Herald:

"To my sisters, brothers and fans of the Red Sox Nation. I want to take a moment to thank you and the entire Red Sox organization for your support during my time in Boston. Your constant passion for baseball and your beloved Red Sox is unmatched and has touched me deeply. I will always consider you with a special place in my heart.

"The Red Sox organization deserves only the best and the Red Sox Nation is just that. Peace in life, Wily Modesto Pena."

I refuse to believe that he was the actual word-smith for that piece; I'm sure he had his agent or a PR person put it together for him. That doesn't matter though- it's the thought that counts. On a side note, I'm definitely going to start signing everything, "peace in life, Scott Modesto Barker." Well... maybe not the Modesto part.

Wily Mo sez: "Speak softly and carry a big glove."

These are some pretty damn gracious sentiments for a guy who was booed incessantly at Fenway for his lackluster play in the field. I'm glad to see he's already hit the ground running in the National League, hitting .375 with 2 HR's and 4 RBI's in 4 games.

I was always convinced that the Sox would provide a high pressure, high reward and high Latino atmosphere for him to succeed in. I was hoping David Ortiz could groom him into a Mini-Papi. You can't always get what you want I guess. So best of luck to ye, Wily.