This edition of Throwback Thursday, we take a look back at not just the career, but the life of one of baseball's most influential pioneers. Born Victor Felipe Pellot Pove, in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, Victor served a 12-year career in the Major Leagues where he played first base for such teams as the Philadelphia/Kansas City Athletics, Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles/California Angels and Philadelphia Phillies before retiring in 1965. Prior to signing with the Yankees in 1951, Vic played Minor League ball in the French-Canadian town of Drummondville, Quebec. There in Canada, was where the name 'Vic Power' was created.
With mostly white players on his team and throughout the league, Victor was often laughed at by the French-speaking crowd, whenever his name [Victor Pellot] was announced. At first he assumed he was being laughed at because of his dark skin color. However, he soon learned the real source of the laughter was not poked at his race, but rather his last name. Victor's last name 'Pellot' resembled the similar-sounding word 'plotte' which is slang for 'vagina' in the Quebec French. In response, he played under the name "Vic Power". The name 'Power' also came from an odd source, as his mother's name Maximina Pove was often misspelled by her teacher in grade school. Thus resulting in Vic's reasoning behind his new chosen stage name.
Back in the United States, Vic found himself playing in the Yankees farm system, where he was sent to the organization's Triple-A team in Syracuse, New York. Despite being the Minor League batting champion in 1953, he was not invited to Spring Training. It was just a year later when Vic saw his first action in a big league uniform, playing for the Philadelphia Athletics, and becoming the team's first Puerto Rican born player. Power was a 4-time American League All-Star and went on to win seven Gold Glove Awards, all coming in consecutive seasons from 1958-1964. Among his career totals, he finished with 1,716 hits, 126 home runs and 658 rbi's. Although he didn't put up jaw dropping numbers offensively, he was better known for his slick often criticized one-handed defense. Something he was good at while at the plate, however, was his plate discipline. Vic proved to be one of the harder batters to fan, having only struck out 247 times out of 6,046 at bats.
Known as one of the game's premier defenders while on the field, Vic Power became just as well known for what he did off the field as well. To those that understood him, Vic was remembered by his teammates, baseball historians and fans for his sharp wit and dark, deadpan humor, a lot of which was directed at the way black and Latin ball players were treated at the time. In Spring Training, Vic had endured many racist moments during segregation having experienced life in the Southern United States. One of which has been forever remembered by most Hispanic baseball enthusiasts and was even mentioned in Roberto Clemente's biography. While knowing very little English, Vic walked into a southern whites-only diner and sat at the counter. A waitress soon approached Power telling him, "Sorry but we don't serve Negroes here." Power promptly replied, "That's okay, I don't eat Negroes, I just wanted some beans and rice."
On November 29, 2005, Power died in San Juan, Puerto Rico from cancer at the age of 78. Although he's not with us to this day, Victor Pellot has been considered by many islanders to have been one of Puerto Rico's greatest baseball players and a legend. More on his baseball career can be found in the 2005 American documentary Beisbol.
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