Powell yearns to show off home run trot

Here's an addendum to today's story about Biscuits outfielder Pedro Powell (honored via bobblehead, at right, by Class A Lynchburg in 2008) and his football prowess (basketball and track, too) at Hawkinsville (Ga.) High.

Powell’s biggest baseball tool is obviously his speed and he had 264 career steals. He also, believe it or not, has a home run.

On July 28, 2005, Powell was with Hickory of the Class A South Atlantic League. With one out in the third inning, Powell hit a two-run homer over the left-field wall off Greg Kloosterman.

Pirates roving outfield instructor Gary Redus, a native Alabamian and former major leaguer, cracked to Powell that the pitcher would be released. Kloosterman finished his final professional season with a 4-19 record.

"I didn’t know it was gone," Powell said. "I was running hard around first and the guy in front of me stopped and looked at me. He yelled, 'Do you know what you did? You just hit a home run.' I was smiling from second to home."

It remains his only homer in more than 1,100 professional at-bats.

"Some of the guys say to this day that I’ll get another one. 'Just wait. You’ll run into one,'" Powell said. "If I run into another home run, I won’t know how to act.

"I might run around the bases full speed."