# Victor Cole

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**Victor Alexander Cole** (born January 23, 1968) is a former professional [baseball](/source/Baseball) pitcher. Cole is the only [Major League Baseball](/source/Major_League_Baseball) player to have been born in the [Soviet Union](/source/Soviet_Union), and the ninth to have been born in what is now [Russia](/source/Russian_Federation).

Cole pitched in eight games for the [1992 Pittsburgh Pirates](/source/1992_Pittsburgh_Pirates_season), with an 0–2 record, 12 [strikeouts](/source/Strikeouts) and allowing 14 [earned runs](/source/Earned_runs).

Cole attended [Santa Clara University](/source/Santa_Clara_University) in [California](/source/California). Cole's father, from Sierra Leone, studied medicine in Russia and married a Russian woman. The family left Russia when Cole was four years old,[1] lived in Sierra Leone for four years, then spent two years in Canada before moving to the United States when he was ten years old.[2]

Cole was taken by the [Kansas City Royals](/source/Kansas_City_Royals) in the 14th round of the 1988 amateur draft. He was traded to the Pirates May 3, 1991 for [Carmelo Martinez](/source/Carmelo_Martinez).

Cole played in the [Milwaukee Brewers](/source/Milwaukee_Brewers) [organization](/source/Minor_league_baseball) in 1994 and the [San Diego Padres](/source/San_Diego_Padres) organization in 1995 and 1996. He announced his retirement during the 1995 season.[3]

He then went to play in the [Taiwan Major League](/source/Taiwan_Major_League) for [Kaoping Fala](/source/Kaoping_Fala) in 1997. Cole returned to the minors in 1998 and 1999 with the [Chicago Cubs](/source/Chicago_Cubs). He spent 2000 with the [Memphis Redbirds](/source/Memphis_Redbirds), a [AAA](/source/AAA_(baseball)) affiliate of the [St. Louis Cardinals](/source/St._Louis_Cardinals) and [SK Wyverns](/source/SK_Wyverns) of the [Korea Baseball Organization](/source/Korea_Baseball_Organization). Cole spent 2001 and 2002 with the KBO's [Doosan Bears](/source/Doosan_Bears) before retiring. In his ten seasons in the minor leagues, he had a record of 37 - 36 with an ERA of 3.70.

In 2003, Cole joined the [Russia national baseball team](/source/Russia_national_baseball_team). He also joined the team on its tour of the [North American](/source/North_American)-based [independent](/source/Independent_league_baseball) [Northeast League](/source/Northeast_League). Cole later coached with the National Team in the 2020 European Championships, in Group B.

## References

1. Hagen, Paul. ["Russian-born Major Leaguers in the modern era"](https://www.mlb.com/news/russian-born-players-in-the-modern-era-c252327418). *MLB.com*. Retrieved 10 January 2020.

1. ["Bucs' Cole Makes Baseball History"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112754053/bucs-cole-makes-baseball-history/). *[Latrobe Bulletin](/source/Latrobe_Bulletin)*. [Associated Press](/source/Associated_Press). 24 June 1992. p. 15. Retrieved 8 November 2022.

1. Watkins, George (7 June 1995). ["Salinas pitcher Victor Cole announces his retirement; Peppers win, 3-1"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112755313/salinas-pitcher-victor-cole-announces/). *[The Salinas Californian](/source/The_Salinas_Californian)*. p. B. Retrieved 8 November 2022.

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