Pena Is Hired as Manager of Royals

Tony Pena the manager promises to be just as tough and combative as Tony Pena the All-Star catcher.

“I believe you go out and play hard baseball,” said the new Kansas City Royals’ manager, renowned during his 18-year career as one of the major leagues’ most aggressive players.

“I believe in that. There will be rules and we’re going to have to follow the rules.”

A five-time All-Star with Pittsburgh and St. Louis, the 44-year-old Pena was introduced Wednesday as the replacement for Tony Muser, who was fired April 29.

Hired off the staff of the Houston Astros, Pena signed through the 2004 season.

He smiled broadly when asked what his first message to his players would be.

“I am the new DJ. I play the music,” he said. “You are to dance. If you don’t know how to dance, get off of the dance floor.”

Said catcher A.J. Hinch: “That’s really what he said to us. We really got a kick out of it. We’ve known him for 20 minutes and we can see he’s got a great personality.

“I think the transition is going to be fine.”

*Tampa Bay optioned right-hander Jesus Colome to triple-A Durham, one day after his wildness nearly led to a brawl with the New York Yankees.

Colome, 24, has a 1-3 record with 14 walks and 25 hits allowed in 14 innings this season.

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Toronto traded pitcher Pedro Borbon to the Astros for a player to be named.

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Cleveland pitcher Chuck Finley and his wife, actress Tawny Kitaen, accused each other of domestic violence and drug abuse in court documents filed May 2 in Orange County Superior Court.

Petitioning to regain custody of their two children, Kitaen claimed that Finley started a fight that led to her arrest in April. She also accused him of alcohol and drug abuse, and said he took steroids.

In his petition to keep custody of the children, Finley alleged that Kitaen’s “acts of domestic violence and chronic drug abuse place the children at risk.”