Vic Power--1963
Playing first base and with a last
name of Power, one of the least likely
tidbits one would have expected to
find on the back of his card was that
Victor stole home.
However, as we can see, the 5''11"
first sacker did indeed swipe home---
and did it twice-- in a 1958 contest
while playing for the Cleveland
Indians.
Intrigued by the baseball card diddy, I
researched the Cleveland Plain
Dealer during my last visit to
Cleveland and here's writer Harry
Jones' recap of the feat:
Vic Power stole home with the
bases loaded and two out in the
10th inning yesterday, bringing a
climatic finish to one of the most
thrilling games ever performed on
a big league diamond.
It was the second steal of home in
the wild affair for the nimble
Puerto Rican, whose daring base
running gave the Indians a 10-9
victory over the Detroit Tigers
before 4,474 lucky patrons.
Power first stole home during an
eighth-inning rally which netted
the Indians five runs and a 9-7
lead. The Tigers then tied the
score with a pair in the top of the
ninth.
Apparently, the Tigers felt that
Power wouldn't have the nerve
enough to try it again in the 10th---
especially with slugging Rocky
Colavito at bat, the bases jammed,
two away and the score 9-9.
But after making a few false
breaks toward the plate while
Pitcher Frank Lary barely gave him
a glance, Power did streak in and
slid home safely, beating the pitch
by plenty.
This was a hair-raising windup of a
game that featured a pair of home
runs by Colavito, a pinch homer by
Vic Wertz and the ejection of
Manager Joe Gordon for the
second straight game.
Nestled inside the article was a
sidebar that noted that with the two
"dashes" to home plate, Power would
set an AL record and tie a 48-year
old major league record, last
accomplished by Larry Doyle of the
New York Giants on Sept. 18, 1911.
Before that, it was Chicago Cub Joe
Tinker (of Tinker to Evans to Chance
fame) who first performed the feat on
June 28, 1910. However, the website
Baseball Almanac would list others
who equalled the feat.
Steal of Home Records-- Baseball
Almanac Website
Amazingly, Power would steal just 45
bases during his 12-season career.
The pair of thefts on August 14th
were the last of his three stolen
bases for the 1958 season.
Known for his slick fielding that
garnered seven consecutive Gold
Gloves (1958-64), Power also
earned notoriety in being recognized
as the first Puerto Rican to play in
the major leagues. He was also a
six-time All-Star and finished his
career with a very respectable .284
batting average, while going yard
126 times. He also walked more times
than he fanned (279 BB/247 K)
during 6,461 at bats in an
outstanding Sabremetric stat.
What came over Power that day, we
can only wonder. We do know that it
never happened again for the
Cleveland first baseman--- or for
that matter, anyone else who has
played in the big leagues since....
Editor's Note: While I can throw
around a few adjectives, there's
nothing like reading the old time
scribes...
(9/15/09)
name of Power, one of the least likely
tidbits one would have expected to
find on the back of his card was that
Victor stole home.
However, as we can see, the 5''11"
first sacker did indeed swipe home---
and did it twice-- in a 1958 contest
while playing for the Cleveland
Indians.
Intrigued by the baseball card diddy, I
researched the Cleveland Plain
Dealer during my last visit to
Cleveland and here's writer Harry
Jones' recap of the feat:
Vic Power stole home with the
bases loaded and two out in the
10th inning yesterday, bringing a
climatic finish to one of the most
thrilling games ever performed on
a big league diamond.
It was the second steal of home in
the wild affair for the nimble
Puerto Rican, whose daring base
running gave the Indians a 10-9
victory over the Detroit Tigers
before 4,474 lucky patrons.
Power first stole home during an
eighth-inning rally which netted
the Indians five runs and a 9-7
lead. The Tigers then tied the
score with a pair in the top of the
ninth.
Apparently, the Tigers felt that
Power wouldn't have the nerve
enough to try it again in the 10th---
especially with slugging Rocky
Colavito at bat, the bases jammed,
two away and the score 9-9.
But after making a few false
breaks toward the plate while
Pitcher Frank Lary barely gave him
a glance, Power did streak in and
slid home safely, beating the pitch
by plenty.
This was a hair-raising windup of a
game that featured a pair of home
runs by Colavito, a pinch homer by
Vic Wertz and the ejection of
Manager Joe Gordon for the
second straight game.
Nestled inside the article was a
sidebar that noted that with the two
"dashes" to home plate, Power would
set an AL record and tie a 48-year
old major league record, last
accomplished by Larry Doyle of the
New York Giants on Sept. 18, 1911.
Before that, it was Chicago Cub Joe
Tinker (of Tinker to Evans to Chance
fame) who first performed the feat on
June 28, 1910. However, the website
Baseball Almanac would list others
who equalled the feat.
Steal of Home Records-- Baseball
Almanac Website
Amazingly, Power would steal just 45
bases during his 12-season career.
The pair of thefts on August 14th
were the last of his three stolen
bases for the 1958 season.
Known for his slick fielding that
garnered seven consecutive Gold
Gloves (1958-64), Power also
earned notoriety in being recognized
as the first Puerto Rican to play in
the major leagues. He was also a
six-time All-Star and finished his
career with a very respectable .284
batting average, while going yard
126 times. He also walked more times
than he fanned (279 BB/247 K)
during 6,461 at bats in an
outstanding Sabremetric stat.
What came over Power that day, we
can only wonder. We do know that it
never happened again for the
Cleveland first baseman--- or for
that matter, anyone else who has
played in the big leagues since....
Editor's Note: While I can throw
around a few adjectives, there's
nothing like reading the old time
scribes...
(9/15/09)
