GIF: The Terrible and Virtuous Carlos Pena

In 1794, the incorruptible Robespierre announced in a speech to the National Convention that “Terror without virtue is fatal; virtue without terror is impotent. The terror is nothing but justice, prompt, severe, inflexible; it is thus an emanation of virtue” — and then beheaded the majority of France’s ruling class (if not necessarily in that order).

One imagines that an almost identical thought occurred to Carlos Pena during Tampa Bay’s game yesterday against New York — during the first inning of which game, Yankees manager Joe Girardi ordered an intentional walk of shortstop Sean Rodriguez to load the bases for the Rays first baseman. It was at this juncture that Pena responded in the manner preserved by this GIF, a manner informed (plainly enough!) by equal parts terror and virtue.