Minor Leagues
He was signed by the Yankees in 1951, and sent to their Triple-A team in Syracuse, New York. In 1952, Power played for the Kansas City Blues, where he led the American Association in doubles and triples while having a .331 batting average. The next season, Power led the league with a .349 batting average. However, despite his skills he was not invited to spring training neither year.
The Yankees owners at the time, Del Webb and Dan Topping felt that his playing style and personality wasn't suited for the conservative style that they wanted a "black" player to represent as a member of the club. The Yankees also had future Hall of Famer Johnny Mize at first place, and another top prospect, Kansas City teammate Bill Skowron in their farm system. Skowron spent most of the 1953 season at first base, while Power played 121 games in the outfield. Instead, the Yankees decided on Elston Howard to become the first black player in club history. Many blacks and Puerto Ricans protested in front of Yankee Stadium in response to what is believed to have been a racially motivated decision.
Read more about this topic: Victor Pellot
Famous quotes containing the words minor and/or leagues:
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