Philadelphia Phillies (1964)
Today is former Phillies first baseman Vic Power's birthday. If his name doesn't ring a bell, it's probably because he appeared in just 18 games for the Fightins.
The 1964 Phillies were dominant for most of the season. On Labor Day, they were in first place in the National League with a comfortable six and a half game lead with 25 games left to play. Things started to go wrong after that, starting with first baseman Frank Thomas breaking his thumb during a game against the Dodgers on September 8th. The team worked quickly and acquired his replacement from the Los Angeles Angels the next day in a trade that sent Vic Power to the Phillies in exchange for a player to be named later, which ended up being left-handed pitcher Marcelino López.
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| The Evening Sun - Hanover, PA (September 10, 1964) |
Vic Power was excellent in the field, but he was in his age 36 season and didn't put up the kind of offensive numbers to replace what the Phillies had lost in Thomas. If this was the only concern the team had in the final weeks of the season, Power would have taken the field in the World Series that year. However, everything that could go wrong for the did go wrong. The team lost 12 of their last 15 games of the season, falling one game behind the St. Louis Cardinals for the Pennant.
Vic Power was reacquired by the Los Angels Angels after the 1964 season, and he would play his final season in pro ball with the Angels in 1965. He finished his career as a six time All-Star and a seven time Gold Glove first baseman, winning the award every season from 1958 to 1964, and he is one of the few players in the history of the sport to steal home twice in a single game. He had a solid career that spanned a dozen seasons in which he reached 1,716 hits and 126 home runs.
He returned to Puerto Rico in his retirement as a hero. The city of Guaynabo built a ballpark named after him which he could see from the window of his home, and he spent his summers helping young players to develop their skills. He passed away two years ago on November 29th at 78 years old.
