Vickie Panos
Encyclopedia
Vickie Panos is a former outfielder
who played for two different teams in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
. Listed at 5' 3", 120 lb., Panos batted left-handed
and threw left-handed
. Sometimes she is credited as Vicky Pano.
, Canada
to Greek-Canadian parents, Panos is one of three descendants of Greek migrants to play in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, being the others Annastasia Batikis
and Kay Lionikas
.
Panos entered the AAGPBL in with the South Bend Blue Sox
, playing for them in part of the season before joining the eventual league champion Milwaukee Chicks
. She excelled as one of the teams top offensive stars, ranking near the top in several offensive categories.
In her only season, Panos scored 84 runs
with 141 stolen base
s in 115 games, both second-most in the league behind the speedy Sophie Kurys
, who scored 87 times and set a league-record with 166 steals. Panos also hit a .263 batting average
for sixth place and batted 106 hits
for the fifth, while posting a solid .367 on-base percentage and a .978 fielding average.
In the postseason, Panos hit .214 with five runs and seven stolen bases for the Chicks, who went on to win the AAGPBL title after beating the Kenosha Comets
.
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
who played for two different teams in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was a women's professional baseball league founded by Philip K. Wrigley which existed from 1943 to 1954. During the league's history, over 600 women played ball.-History:...
. Listed at 5' 3", 120 lb., Panos batted left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
and threw left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
. Sometimes she is credited as Vicky Pano.
Career
A native of Moose Jaw, SaskatchewanSaskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to Greek-Canadian parents, Panos is one of three descendants of Greek migrants to play in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, being the others Annastasia Batikis
Annastasia Batikis
Annastasia Batikis [Stash] is a former female center fielder who played for the Racine Belles of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during the season...
and Kay Lionikas
Kay Lionikas
Irene Lionikas [Kay] was a female professional center fielder who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
.
Panos entered the AAGPBL in with the South Bend Blue Sox
South Bend Blue Sox
The South Bend Blue Sox were a women's professional baseball team who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League...
, playing for them in part of the season before joining the eventual league champion Milwaukee Chicks
Milwaukee Chicks
The Milwaukee Chicks were a women's professional baseball team which played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during the season. They were managed by Max Carey, former star player for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Brooklyn Robins and a future Hall of Famer.-History:By 1944 the...
. She excelled as one of the teams top offensive stars, ranking near the top in several offensive categories.
In her only season, Panos scored 84 runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
with 141 stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s in 115 games, both second-most in the league behind the speedy Sophie Kurys
Sophie Kurys
Sophie Kurys is a former second basewoman who played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 5", 115 lb., Kurys batted and threw right-handed.-Career:...
, who scored 87 times and set a league-record with 166 steals. Panos also hit a .263 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
for sixth place and batted 106 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
for the fifth, while posting a solid .367 on-base percentage and a .978 fielding average.
In the postseason, Panos hit .214 with five runs and seven stolen bases for the Chicks, who went on to win the AAGPBL title after beating the Kenosha Comets
Kenosha Comets
Based in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the Kenosha Comets were a women's professional baseball team that played from through in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. The team played their home games at Kenosha's Lake Front Stadium, but later moved to Simmons Field.The Kenosha Comets were one...
.
Milestone
- The AAGPBL folded in 1954, but there is now a permanent display at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum at Cooperstown, New YorkCooperstown, New YorkCooperstown is a village in Otsego County, New York, USA. It is located in the Town of Otsego. The population was estimated to be 1,852 at the 2010 census.The Village of Cooperstown is the county seat of Otsego County, New York...
since November 5, that honors those who were part of this unique experience. But like many of her AAGPBL colleagues, Vickie Panos was relatively unknown until the 1992 film A League of Their OwnA League of Their OwnA League of Their Own is a 1992 American comedy-drama film that tells a fictionalized account of the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League . Directed by Penny Marshall, the film stars Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Tom Hanks, Madonna, and Rosie O'Donnell...
by filmmaker Penny MarshallPenny MarshallPenny Marshall is an American actress, producer and director.After playing several small roles for television, she was cast as Laverne DeFazio in the sitcom Laverne and Shirley...
was exhibited for the first time.
Sources
- All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Record Book – W. C. Madden. Publisher: McFarland & Company. Format: Paperback, 294pp. Language: English. ISBN 0786437472