Calvin Pickering is the heir to the tradition of baseball in the Virgin Islands. "Picko" has enormous size -- 6'5" and 283 pounds -- and when he’s right, power to match. He is only the third native of St. Thomas to make the majors, after Al McBean and Elrod Hendricks. Ellie first noticed Pickering, aged 17, at a clinic he ran with his old buddy Lee May back in the islands. After moving to Tampa in 1995, Picko was drafted in the 35th round by the Orioles. He was Eastern League Player of the Year in 1998, and hit his first big-league homers against two premier pitchers, David Cone and Pedro Martínez. Over the past two years, Calvin has suffered setbacks related to injury, weight, front-office moves, and attitude. Still, the first baseman remains an intriguing talent.
Also by Rory Costello
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» Turk Wendell
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Copyright © 2000 by Rory Costello. Posted June 29, 2001.
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