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Sixteen-year-old Peter Piccoli has been playing baseball ever since his 3-year-old hands could wrap themselves around that red-seamed piece of leather.
This summer the resident of 15th Street and Oregon Avenue played alongside the most talented players in the Delaware Valley as he traveled to Harrisburg and then Minnesota, where his team reached the semifinals before falling to a Caribbean team.
The Major League Baseball-sponsored Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities has been running for nearly a quarter century and aims to give inhabitants of underserved areas the chance to play baseball on a greater stage. Some of the graduates of the program include pro ball stars Carl Crawford, James Loney, CC Sabathia and Justin Upton.
To make the team, Peter, who turned 16 Aug. 21, pitted himself against some of the most talented players in the junior age bracket, which is for boys 13 to 15 years old. The tryouts lured in teens from Delaware and New Jersey as well as Philadelphia, creating a very competitive atmosphere.
“Nobody was involved [in the decision-making] from South Philly where you got Daddy involved,” father George Piccoli said. “It’s not like that. They don’t care who you are. You just got to play.”
When asked about competing with kids he does not know and the pressures that come with it, Peter was cool and collected.
“Honestly, it doesn’t matter to me,” he said.
Though he seems reserved in some instances, including school-related ones, placing him inside the sacred diamond of America’s pastime remedies him.
“That is a major comfort zone. Sometimes he is kind of shy, but when you get him on the field, that’s his home. That’s where he feels most comfortable,” Peter’s mother Michele Piccoli said.
While his average summer is filled with more fastballs and batting cages than an average teen could stomach, the past few months have been especially hectic for him and his family.
Having transferred to Prep Charter High School, 1928 Point Breeze Ave., from Ss. Neumann-Goretti, 1736 S. 10th St., at the end of the 2011 school term, Peter has had more than a full workload ahead of him as he suffers from a learning disability that requires an Individualized Education Program for comprehension.
“That was one of our [reasons to switch],” George Piccoli said.
“I’m excited,” Peter added. “I got a lot of friends there and [Prep Charter] should be able to help me with my school work.”
While he was accomplished, having pitched St. Nicholas of Tolentine School, 913 Pierce St., to its first championship in 19 years in 2008 and started at second base at age 12 for an 18-and-under team in Neumann-Goretti’s summer league, there was a lot of preparation needed for the upcoming season, including increased workouts and participation in several tournaments such as the RBI World Series.
After the RBI tryouts ended and Peter had successfully impressed the RBI coaches, the team had to compete against eight other Pennsylvania teams in a tournament in the state capital. Piccoli’s squad cruised through the tournament and earned a spot in the RBI World Series, which would take place at various stadiums in Minneapolis, including Target Field, the home of the Twins.
In early August, the boys were flown out to the Twin Cities; however, Peter and his teammates would not have the comfort of their families at all times of the day.
“They all had to fly by themselves. No parents or anything. We couldn’t go with him. They got their own plane, the [RBI program] paid for the airfare. I drove him up to the airplane at 6 a.m. and the flight took off at 8 a.m. and then we had no contact with him except at the stadiums,” Michele Piccoli said.
They did receive quite the royal treatment. All the members of the Philadelphia RBI team were protected by MLB security and, donning Philadelphia Phillies golf shirts, were filmed boarding and exiting their flights.
Peter took it all in stride. Playing almost every position on the field except for first base, he constantly impressed. In the first game Aug. 11 against Detroit’s junior team, Piccoli went 2-for-3 while also pitching one flawless inning, as his team coasted to a 10-6 victory. The next day he tripled against Atlanta with a scoreless two-thirds of an inning. His two-run hit made the difference as the RBI Phillies won 5-3.
As Peter calmly played his way through the games, Mom and Dad shouldered all the nervousness.
“The guy from MLB was filming during the Houston game, I believe,” George Piccoli said. “I was a nervous wreck and the video guy asked what was the matter. When I said that was my son pitching, he looked through the camera and said, ‘no worries he looks fine.’”
During that game, Peter pitched 2-2/3 innings and netted four strikeouts plus the win. The RBI Phillies won 5-4, earning a place in the semifinal against a talented Dominican Republic team, but would inevitably lose. Peter wasn’t allowed to pitch in the final game due to the league rules, which prohibit a player from pitching in four consecutive games, and the team suffered a 14-3 loss.
Overall, Peter had the experience of a lifetime. He toured both Target Field and Citizens Bank Park, 1 Citizens Bank Way, and met Minnesota Twins catcher and 2009 MVP Joe Mauer. The Phillies honored him and the team prior to the Aug. 17 game.
“Overall it was a great organization,” Michele Piccoli said. “They took care of the kids. There was white, black, Puerto Rican and they all got together. The whole program was unbelievable.” ■
Comment at www.southphillyreview.com/sports/features.
Peter Piccoli will look to use his summer experiences to bolster his new West Passyunk school’s lineup.
Photo Provided by George Piccoli
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