Sam Vico: Acrobatic Detroit Tigers Batter from 1948 Magazine Page
The page from the 1948 Sportfolio highlights George Stephen Vico, known as “Sam,” who was an acrobatic rookie first baseman for the Detroit Tigers. At 25 years old in August of that year, Vico stood 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighed 200 pounds. He was noted for his switch-hitting capabilities, batting left while throwing right. Born in San Fernando, California, Vico secured a position with the Tigers after an impressive spring training performance, which came after initially being regarded as a doubtful prospect. The previous year, he played for the Portland team in the Pacific Coast League, where he achieved a notable batting average of .307 over 131 games.