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A “Slide-Off” Victory??
What the Heck Is that!!
Today I stumbled upon some interesting information that proves that two of my personal baseball axioms are true:
- Just when you think you know everything about this game, you suddenly realize that actually you don’t – no matter how many years you’ve been following it; and
- Whenever you look closely into the career of almost any major leaguer, you’ll find something of interest.
So lets take a look at what I discovered today that fulfills these two axioms.
What’s a “Slide-off Victory”?
According to the National Pastime website, sixty-seven years ago this week, on August 14, 1958, the Indians’ Vic Power (see featured photo above) became the first player in seventy years to steal home twice in one game. After swiping home in the eighth, his tenth-inning two-out theft of the plate ended the game and gave the Tribe a 10-9 “slide-off” victory over the Tigers at Cleveland Stadium.
So now I know that a “slide off” victory is one in which the game ends with a steal of home plate! See…what did I tell you…just when you thought you knew it all, you learn something new!
The Career of Vic Power
And then looking at the career of Vic Power – who I remember from my youth – I discovered that his real name was Victor Felipe Pellot Pové. The Arceibo, Puerto Rican native played twelve seasons in majors (1954-1965) for the Athletics, Indians, Twins, Angels, and Phillies. Over his career, he hit .284, with 126 homers, and 658 RBIs. Vic was a six-time All-Star and won seven Gold Gloves. He was the second Puerto Rican of African descent to play in the majors and the second Puerto Rican to play in the American League.
Vic is one of only six batters to have hit both a leadoff and walk-off home run in the same game. He shares the record of making two unassisted double plays in one game, and he is one of 11 players to steal home plate twice in one game. He struck out only 247 times in 6,046 at bats.. Vic has the record of having made one or more assists in 16 consecutive game as a first baseman. At the age of 36, he won his final Gold Glove to be the oldest player to win the award at first base, a record he held until 2021.
Vic Power is considered one of the greatest Puerto Rican players, perhaps behind only Roberto Clemente, and also one of the greatest defensive first basemen of all time. After he retired, Vic helped youngsters develop their baseball skills in both Puerto Rico and San Pedro de Macorís in the Dominican Republic.. According to historian Bill James, Power was probably a main reason why San Pedro de Macorís became “the world’s richest source of baseball talent”.
In 2000, the Cleveland Indians honored him by declaring him to be one of its 100 all-time greatest players. Vic Power passed away on November 29, 2005, in Bayamón, Puerto Rico from cancer, at the age of 78.
Gary Livacari
Information: Excerpts edited from the Vic Power Wikipedia page; Stats from Baseball Reference
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Really interesting essay! I knew of Vic Power, but never realized he had such an accomplished career. Just goes to show that in my case, my first axiom should be that “I know I don’t know much about this game and have a lot to learn!”
And on that note, I too didn’t know what a slide-off victory was. But it makes sense when viewed in the context of a “walk-off” hit that leads to victory. But then again, if the bases are loaded in a tie game in the bottom of the ninth or in extra innings, and the batter walks, scoring the winning run, wouldn’t that be a true “walk-off” victory? Ah, don’t mind me. Sometimes my observations can be more silly than substantive. I guess the generic “walk-off” works for all situations.
But more seriously, a slide-off win is a pretty gutsy move by the runner. Stealing home in that situation is risky, and probably something we won’t see anymore, especially now with teams able to start their innings with the Manfred Man. With this rule change, the slide-off might well have slid itself into baseball history.
Really good essay!
In the early 1960’s I saw Vic Power play the Yankees in a Sunday doubleheader in Cleveland. I had read that he was a fancy fielder and his grace around first base sure impressed me! He was so graceful during between innings warm-ups; catching everything one-handed and moving so smoothly, he reminded me of a ballet dancer.
He was a Yankees farmhand before being traded to the A’s. The Yankees thought his play was “showboat” or else he may have been the first black MLB Yankee. I guess the fact he supposedly dated white girls also kept him off the Yankee squad.
Vic Power – what a great name for a ballplayer.
After batting .331 and .349 in two full seasons for the Yankees AAA farm team in Kansas City, the Yanks traded Power along with several fringe players to the Athletics for an over-the-hill Eddie Robinson and other fringe players. It was a great trade for the A’s, and a refutation of the notion that the Yankees of the 1950’s plundered the A’s for star players with little given in return. However, there is more. Several years later the A’s traded Power to Cleveland for Roger Maris. A year and a half after that, A’s dealt Maris to the Yankees. So, the trade ended up being Power for Maris – sort of. Maybe not such a bad deal after all.