Francisco Pena trying to get it right

SARASOTA, Fla. - The first round of cuts are coming today unless there's an unexpected change in plans.

Barring an injury, the Orioles will go north with catchers Matt Wieters and Caleb Joseph. They currently have six catchers in camp, including Francisco Pena, Audry Perez, Chance Sisco and Jonah Heim.

Pena will take an interesting story with him whenever the Orioles decide to option him and he reports to Twin Lakes Park.

He's the son of former major league catcher and current Yankees coach Tony Pena. He played on the same 2001 Little League World Series team from Bronx, N.Y., as Danny Almonte, the pitcher later found to be ineligible due to his age. He's going to receive a World Series ring from the Royals after appearing in eight games with them last season.

But there's more to him.

Pena is left-handed, but he was taught at an early age - if that's the right phrasing - to throw with his right. His father must have envisioned his future position, and it wasn't bullpen specialist.

Pena does everything else as a lefty, though he gave up switch-hitting while in the Mets organization and only bats from the right side.

"I used to throw with my left hand, but when I was growing up, my dad made me throw right-handed," said Pena, 26, signed by the Mets as an amateur free agent in 2006. "He probably saw a future as a catcher or something. He did a good job with that. And it was great. I learned to throw with my right hand."

Pena's brother, Tony Jr., is a shortstop-turned-pitcher. There had to be another backstop in the family and Francisco was the chosen one.

"He saw my brother used to play in the big leagues as a shortstop and he couldn't have that," Pena said, smiling. "He was the skinny, lanky one. I was the big one, so my dad thought, 'Here's my catcher.' "

Showalter watched Pena throw left-handed while playing catch and was intrigued. Then he discovered the backstory.

"I write left-handed, I eat left-handed," Pena said. "I can say that I can do some stuff with my left, but I forgot already how to throw with my left. I'm all righty now."

Pena was amused by his brief conversation with Showalter on the subject.

"He told me, 'If I would have known that, we would have acquired you a little bit early,' " Pena said with a laugh. "It was funny when he said that. We talked a little bit about it, but it's all in the past now."

Pat Venditte made headlines last summer as an ambidextrous pitcher for the Athletics. He's now in Blue Jays camp. Maybe Pena could follow his path.

"I don't think I'm that good," Pena said. "I don't think I'd make it to the plate. But whatever the team needs me to do, I will. Hopefully, in the future I'll get that opportunity and do what I could do."

I'm pretty sure he's concentrating on catching here.

Switch-hitting still interests Pena, but only if the Orioles allow it.

"If in the future they gave me the opportunity, I would try it, but I think it's a little bit late in my career now," Pena said. "Guys who do it start their career in A ball or in Double-A, but now it's a little too far in my career to start doing it again, to start from zero and start from scratch. But nothing's impossible in life, you know? You can do whatever you decide to do. But right now, I'm focusing on my right-hand hitting."