Who is Jeremy Pena’s dad? Meet Geronimo Pena, the bubble gum-blowing former Cardinals infielder

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In a roster teeming with stardom, Jeremy Pena has been the Astros’ most important player this postseason. The 25-year old rookie earned ALCS MVP honors after posting a 1.177 OPS in 17 at-bats, picking up the slack after big-name batters Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez struggled.

It was the highlight of a season increasingly filled with them for the youngster. “La Tormenta” has quickly established himself as one of the best fielders and baserunners in the league, placing in the 92nd and 95th percentile in outs above average and sprint speed, per Baseball Savant.

Despite his roundabout journey to the big leagues — Pena was taken by the Braves in the 39th round of the 2015 MLB Draft before being rising to third-round status after an impressive college career at Maine — is always seemed like Pena was tipped for the bigs.

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Much of that is because his dad, Geronimo, played seven years at the top level.

Geronimo Pena was a light-hitting second baseman who served as a vital piece on the Joe Torre-led Cardinals of the early- to mid-1990s.

Pena credited his pops with helping him reach the big leagues in an interview with MLB Network’s Jon Morosi after Houston’s ALDS Game 2 victory over Mariners.

With that, The Sporting News details the elder Pena, his playing career and the similarities (and differences) between father and son.

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Who is Geronimo Peña?

Over the course of Geronimo’s seven-year spell in MLB, he was never a star. Rather, he was a complimentary piece on some good, not great, St. Louis sides of the early 90s, making his debut for the team in 1990.

Serving as a sort of utility second baseman who dovetailed with the likes of Luis Alicea and Jose Oquendo, Geronimo was fairly proficient at the plate. He thrice posted seasons of an above-league-average OPS+ and wasn’t particularly strikeout prone. In fact, in 1992, Geronimo put up career numbers. Geronimo hit .305/.386/.478 in his third year in the league, showcasing impressive ball-to-bat skills as a switch hitter.

There was but one problem for the then 25-year old: he couldn’t stay healthy. In his career ’92 season, Geronimo broke his collarbone during spring training, keeping him out until late-May. He proceeded to hit the cover off of the ball, all while also showing good speed on the base paths. But a nerve injury halted his season — Geronimo played just 62 games that year.

In many ways, 1992 was a microcosm of Geronimo’s playing career. When he played, he tended to impress, doing enough to stay on St. Louis’ roster despite never playing more than 104 games in a single year.

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But his ailments were aplenty. And they took their toll.

“I guess I am snakebit,” Geronimo said, according to a 1995 article published in SF Gate. “I’m always having a tough time.”

For all of his injury struggles, Geronimo played with a certain level of expressiveness on the field. And nowhere did that shine through more than in his gum-chewing habit.

Geronimo was one of the game’s great gum-chewers. He would munch on Double Bubble like it was attached to his mouth. Often times, you could see the second baseman transfixed in the dugout, piling up another mound of pink, gooey goodness before taking the field.

Whether he was chomping vociferously at the plate or blowing bubbles while sliding into second, more often than not, Geronimo was chewing on something.

It’s a love that has seemingly flowed into Jeremy. I mean, look at how delighted he was to be showered in the candy after a walk-off hit earlier in the season.

Like father, like son.

In terms of play style, the Pena’s are more different than similar. For starters, Jeremy bats righty, whereas his father used both sides of the plate.

Jeremy is also an elite defender, something that wasn’t necessarily his father’s calling card.

Both players, however, were forces on the base path. Geronimo averaged 23 steals per 162 games, a very solid figure. And Jeremy, despite taking just 11 bags this year, has speed to burn:

Geronimo left the game at age 29, unable to find a consistent run of good health in his shortened career. However, being a dad hasn’t been too bad. Look at his reaction to Jeremy’s first career homer: 

With a sparkling smile, a voracious glove and blazing speed, Jeremy Pena has quickly established himself as one of the league’s more exciting young stars.

However, he owes much of his passion for the game to his bubble-gum chewing father, a player who lights up the faces of Cardinals fans from a certain generation.

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