Lenin Alberto Picota (born July 23, 1966 in

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...

) is a former

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professional ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

. He played two seasons in the Korea Baseball Organization for the

Hanwha Eagles The Hanwha Eagles ( ko, 한화 이글스) are a South Korean professional baseball team based in Daejeon. They are a member of the KBO League. The Eagles' home ballpark is Daejeon Hanbat Baseball Stadium. The Eagles have won the Korean Series on ...

in 2002–2003. During his career, Picota has gone by multiple names, his full name (Lenin) as well as two shortened versions (Len or Leny). Picota — a , right-hander — was a starting pitching prospect in the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...

farm system who got as high as AAA but never reached the majors. He was signed as a free-agent on December 18, 1983. Perhaps his best season in the minors was 1986, with the Savannah Cardinals. That year, he went 6–2 with a 2.00 ERA in 85 innings. Although he walked 67 and struck out only 45, the fact that he gave up only 55 hits attributed to his success. 1988 was also a good season for him. With the St. Petersburg Cardinals, he went 11–10 with a 2.89 ERA in 143 innings. He only gave up 130 hits that year, but he only struck out 65 batters. Apparently, he was not a strikeout pitcher. In 2006 Picota represented Panama in the

World Baseball Classic The World Baseball Classic (WBC) is an international baseball tournament sanctioned from 2006 to 2013 by the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) and after 2013 by World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) in partnership with Major Lea ...

.World Baseball Classic , MLB.com
/ref> He has played a lot of international ball, whether it be in Korea,

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

or Chinese Taipei. He has also played independent baseball with the

Nashua Pride The Nashua Pride was a professional baseball team based in Nashua, New Hampshire, in the United States, not affiliated with Major League Baseball. They played home games at Holman Stadium from 1998 through 2008, when they were sold and renamed ...

. In 2007, he pitched three innings in the

Pan-American Games The Pan American Games (also known colloquially as the Pan Am Games) is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas featuring summer sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The competition is held ...

, striking out two batters and allowing two runs. Picota was signed by the

Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in t ...

at one point in his career after playing foreign ball for seven years. He was released before Opening Day. Picota was announced as manager for the

Saraperos de Saltillo The Saraperos de Saltillo (English: Saltillo Serape Wearers) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League. Their home ballpark is the Estadio de Béisbol Francisco I. Madero in Saltillo, Coahuila. They have won three championships (19 ...

of the

Mexican Baseball League The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country. The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five t ...

for the 2017-18 season.

Notes

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Picota, Len 1966 births 2006 World Baseball Classic players Baseball players at the 1999 Pan American Games Baseball players at the 2007 Pan American Games Pan American Games competitors for Panama Erie Cardinals players Harrisburg Senators players Arkansas Travelers players St. Petersburg Cardinals players Savannah Cardinals players Jacksonville Suns players Calgary Cannons players Ottawa Lynx players Panamanian expatriate baseball players in Canada Panamanian expatriate baseball players in Taiwan Panamanian expatriate baseball players in South Korea Hanwha Eagles players Living people Mercuries Tigers players Sinon Bulls players Taipei Gida players Mexican League baseball managers Panamanian expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic Estrellas Orientales players Panamanian expatriate baseball players in Mexico Panamanian expatriate baseball players in the United States