George Vico

George Vico was a first baseman who played two seasons in the major leagues with the Detroit Tigers in 1948 and 1949. Born in San Fernando, California, in 1923 to Serbian immigrant parents, he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II before reaching the majors. Across his big-league career he batted .250 with 12 home runs and 76 runs batted in. He hit a home run in his first major league at-bat on April 20, 1948, connecting on the first pitch he saw from Joe Haynes. In his rookie 1948 season he appeared in 144 games, batting .267 with 139 hits, 23 doubles, and 9 triples, and ranked among American League leaders in triples, times hit by pitch, and sacrifice hits. He was also a strong defensive first baseman, posting a range factor well above the league average for the position that year. On August 14, 1948, he drove in seven runs in a single game with two doubles, a triple, and a home run. His broader professional career in the minor leagues ran from 1941 to 1957. He died in Redondo Beach, California, in 1994.