‘Boo Baby’ winding up career at Neshannock

By JOHN D’ABRUZZO

jd’abruzzo@ncnewsonline.com

He will forever be known as New Castle’s “Boo Baby.”

Bobby Pickel surprised a lot of people when he was born on Halloween in 1990, which is why he was given the moniker by nurses at Jameson Hospital.

But no one was more shocked then his parents, Bruce and Lauren Pickel of Neshannock Township — especially since the two didn’t even know Lauren was pregnant.

“She called me at work a couple times and told me she wasn’t feeling well,” Bruce said. “I called the doctor and we decided to take her to the emergency room.

“They took her in and I was at the desk signing in. I asked where my wife was and they told me she was up in the delivery room having the baby. I yelled out, ‘What?’ because we had no knowledge at all.”

“He fell to his knees in the hospital,” Lauren joked.

Bobby is all grown up now and a starting defensive end/tight end for the Neshannock High football team. He will play his last regular-season game tonight at Union, then will celebrate his 18th birthday in a week.

“He was a surprise, yes,” Lauren said, “but he was a gift from God.”

TREAT NOT TRICK

Before Bobby’s birth, the Pickel family didn’t have the slightest clue Lauren was expecting.

She was 42 at the time and believed she was done having children. Her two sons, Sam and Jason, were in high school and junior high, respectively.

“We went out to dinner the night before and I had worn jeans with a belt,” said Lauren, who is celebrating her 60th birthday today. “I was a little heavier then, but I had a belt and didn’t know.”

Considering his birth was a complete surprise, both the Pickels and doctors believed Bobby was born about two months premature. He weighed only 4 pounds and 2 ounces.

“At that point, we were all pretty scared. I know I was,” said Bruce, who is now 63. “The doctor said not to worry about a thing.”

Bruce, however, was a bit concerned about how family and friends would react to the news.

“When I called my mother in Florida, she hung up on me,” Bruce said.

People soon started to believe and even began flocking to Jameson.

“They wanted to see my little miracle baby,” Lauren said.

Bobby stayed in the hospital for six weeks after he was born. He was allowed to go home with his family after he was able to eat two ounces.

“When he was born, that was God’s blessing for Bruce and I,” Lauren said. “Both of our boys were going off to college and we were just talking about what we were going to do, but then he came along.

“Nowadays, there are a lot of women having babies at 42. That’s not a bad thing. They’re called menopausal babies. I was thrilled to have him.”

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

Bobby was born on a Wednesday, two days before Neshannock’s final 1990 regular-season game against Union.

Sam was a sophomore and a starting guard/linebacker for the Lancers.

“He was born on a Wednesday and I went to the game on Friday,” Lauren said. “I had never missed one of my boy’s games and I wasn’t going to miss Sam’s last. Bruce got me a doughnut pillow, but I was fine.”

“After she told me that she didn't know (she was pregnant), it kind of surprised me,” Bobby said. “What surprised me even more was that she went to my brother’s game right afterward.”

Bobby is now 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds. Besides football, he also plays first base and right field for the Lancers’ baseball team.

“We never, ever stopped him from playing anything,” Lauren said. “We encouraged all of our kids to do whatever they wanted.”

All three of her sons played football and baseball at Neshannock. Bruce also graduated from Neshannock in 1963 and played tackle for the Lancers.

“Most people my age always look up to professional athletes, but I always admired my brothers,” Bobby said. “They were a big inspiration to me growing up.”

The family will have one more final regular-season game tonight when the Lancers visit the Scotties.

“It’s going to be like the national championship for us, and I’m sure it’s the same for Union,” Bobby said.

Neshannock enters the game 2-4 in the Big Seven Conference and 3-5 overall.

“We started out playing well (this season),” Pickel said. “We got wins against Laurel and Shenango, and those were two big games. We came out and played hard, but I don’t know what happened. South Side, we should have beaten them. Rochester, we held them until the second half and no one thought we’d hold them.

“The kids I’ve been playing with are great. They all give 110 percent and I wouldn’t ever want to play on any other team.”

FAMILY TIES

The Pickel family is very close.

Bruce owns Gardner Steel Corporation where he, his wife and two older sons all work. His two sons even have a condo not far from the family’s Plank Road home.

“We have a close-knit family,” Lauren said “I’m very, very proud of all of my boys.”

Lauren is extremely proud of how her oldest boys were with their youngest brother when he was born.

“They took great care of him and they helped Bruce and I so much. They were just awesome,” Lauren said. “My two oldest boys were a blessing when he was born.”

So was their dog, Beau. A golden retriever the family purchased when Bobby was born helped the youngster learn to walk.

“We’d put him in a floor walker, and Beau would back up to him and give him his tail,” Lauren said. “He would then pull him around the room.”

The Pickel family also shares a passion for bowling. Bruce and Lauren bowl three times a week and their sons are also in local leagues.

“Bobby has a lot of natural ability and is a great athlete,” said Sam, who is now 33. “With his hand-eye coordination, he’s a great bowler and he has a God-given talent for it. He gave it up for other sports, but he has a great ability and understanding how to play.”

Bobby won his fair share of medals and trophies bowling in area tournaments when he was younger. He even carried a 172 average when he was 9.

Bowling, though, will be on the back burner for now. Bobby is planning on attending college, with aspirations of playing baseball at the collegiate level. He wants to major in computer science and is looking at Thiel and La Roche colleges and Youngstown State University.

With Halloween quickly approaching, Bobby enjoys the holiday as well as his birthday.

“That’s how people remember me because I was born on Halloween,” he said. “I love Halloween. My parents and I love watching all the old classic scary movies.”

His parents also treasure the holiday and cherish telling the tale of his birth.

“He grew up healthy, God love him,” Lauren said.