Boog Powell
Encyclopedia
John Wesley Powell is a former major league
first baseman
who played for the Baltimore Orioles
(1961–74), Cleveland Indians
(1975–76) and Los Angeles Dodgers
(1977). He was with the Orioles’ World Series
Champion teams in 1966 and 1970, the American League
Champion teams in 1966, 1969, 1970 and 1971, and the American League East Division Champion teams in 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973 and 1974. The 4-time All-Star won the American League's Most Valuable Player award in 1970 and in 1964 posted a .606 slugging percentage to lead the American League. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed, playing first base, outfield, and designated hitter.
Powell currently owns Boog's Barbecue, which sells barbecue
sandwiches and ribs in two locations: on Eutaw Street
at Oriole Park at Camden Yards
, and the Boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland
. Boog Powell is an avid angler, kicking off the Maryland Fishing season with the governor.
in home runs at Rochester
in . He spent his first three seasons in Baltimore as a slow-footed third baseman and left fielder before switching to first base in . At the plate he was an immediate success, hitting 25 home runs in ; in he led the American League
in slugging percentage (.606) while blasting a career-high 39 home runs despite missing several weeks because of a broken wrist. He slumped to .248 with 17 home runs in 1965, then won the American League Comeback player of the Year honors in (.287, 34 home runs, 109 runs batted in) while being hampered by a broken finger.
, where they surprised the baseball world by sweeping the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers in four games to become baseball's world champions.
Before the season, Powell lamented, "once, just once, I'd like to go through a whole season without an injury." and he did just that, playing over 150 games each of the next three seasons. In he hit a career-high .304 with 37 home runs and 121 runs batted in, and in he was the American League Most Valuable Player, hitting 35 home runs with 114 runs batted in and narrowly missing a .300 average on the last day of the season. In the 1970 World Series
, Powell homered in the first two games as the Orioles defeated the Cincinnati Reds
in 5 games. Prior to the season, Powell appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated
for the 1971 baseball
preview issue. Powell helped Baltimore to a third straight World Series that year, blasting a pair of home runs in game two of the American League Championship Series
against the up-and-coming Oakland Athletics
, but he hit only .111 in the 1971 World Series
as Baltimore lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates
in seven games.
all-star
for four straight years (1968–1971). However, Oriole manager Earl Weaver
believed in making liberal use of the platoon system
, and in 1973 and 1974, Powell fell victim to it, limiting his at-bats in both years. The aging slugger was traded to Cleveland with Don Hood
for Dave Duncan
and a minor leaguer before the season, affording Powell the chance once again to play every day. He responded well to the challenge, hitting .297 with 129 hits and -27 home runs for the Indians that year (his highest marks since 1970), plus fielding his position at a .997 clip. But he hit only nine home runs in and none as a pinch-hitter for the Dodgers in and was released August 31, 1977.
with 339 home run
s, 1187 RBI
and an impressive .361 on base percentage
in 2042 games
. Powell hit three home runs in a game three times, and was second only to Eddie Murray
on the Orioles' all-time home run list before Cal Ripken Jr. surpassed Powell in .
In 1983, Powell received 5 votes for the Hall of Fame
(1.3% of all BBWAA voters) in his only appearance on the ballot.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
who played for the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
(1961–74), Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
(1975–76) and Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
(1977). He was with the Orioles’ World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
Champion teams in 1966 and 1970, the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
Champion teams in 1966, 1969, 1970 and 1971, and the American League East Division Champion teams in 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973 and 1974. The 4-time All-Star won the American League's Most Valuable Player award in 1970 and in 1964 posted a .606 slugging percentage to lead the American League. He batted left-handed and threw right-handed, playing first base, outfield, and designated hitter.
Powell currently owns Boog's Barbecue, which sells barbecue
Barbecue
Barbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...
sandwiches and ribs in two locations: on Eutaw Street
Eutaw Street
Eutaw Street is a major street in Baltimore, Maryland, mostly within the downtown area. Outside of downtown, it is mostly known as Eutaw Place....
at Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Oriole Park at Camden Yards is a Major League Baseball ballpark located in Baltimore, Maryland. Home field of the Baltimore Orioles, it is the first of the "retro" major league ballparks constructed during the 1990s and early 2000s, and remains one of the most highly praised. The park was...
, and the Boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland
Ocean City, Maryland
Ocean City, sometimes known as OC, or OCMD, is an Atlantic Ocean resort town in Worcester County, Maryland, United States. Ocean City is widely known in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is a frequent destination for vacationers in that area...
. Boog Powell is an avid angler, kicking off the Maryland Fishing season with the governor.
Biography
Powell joined the Orioles after leading the International LeagueInternational League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
in home runs at Rochester
Rochester Red Wings
The Rochester Red Wings are a minor league baseball team based in Rochester, New York. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins major-league club. The Red Wings play in Frontier Field, located in downtown Rochester.The Red Wings were an...
in . He spent his first three seasons in Baltimore as a slow-footed third baseman and left fielder before switching to first base in . At the plate he was an immediate success, hitting 25 home runs in ; in he led the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
in slugging percentage (.606) while blasting a career-high 39 home runs despite missing several weeks because of a broken wrist. He slumped to .248 with 17 home runs in 1965, then won the American League Comeback player of the Year honors in (.287, 34 home runs, 109 runs batted in) while being hampered by a broken finger.
Baltimore's glory years
In 1966, Powell, along with Frank Robinson and Brooks Robinson, led the Orioles to the 1966 World Series1966 World Series
The 1966 World Series matched the Baltimore Orioles against the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, with the Orioles sweeping the Series in four games to capture their first championship in franchise history...
, where they surprised the baseball world by sweeping the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers in four games to become baseball's world champions.
Before the season, Powell lamented, "once, just once, I'd like to go through a whole season without an injury." and he did just that, playing over 150 games each of the next three seasons. In he hit a career-high .304 with 37 home runs and 121 runs batted in, and in he was the American League Most Valuable Player, hitting 35 home runs with 114 runs batted in and narrowly missing a .300 average on the last day of the season. In the 1970 World Series
1970 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 10, 1970 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, OhioThe Jackson 5 performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" prior to the game, which almost became an embarrassment when the group realized shortly before their performance that they weren't familiar with the lyrics...
, Powell homered in the first two games as the Orioles defeated the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
in 5 games. Prior to the season, Powell appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
for the 1971 baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
preview issue. Powell helped Baltimore to a third straight World Series that year, blasting a pair of home runs in game two of the American League Championship Series
American League Championship Series
In Major League Baseball, the American League Championship Series , played in October, is a round in the postseason that determines the winner of the American League pennant...
against the up-and-coming Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
, but he hit only .111 in the 1971 World Series
1971 World Series
The 1971 World Series matched the defending champion Baltimore Orioles against the Pittsburgh Pirates, with the Pirates winning in seven games. Game 4, played in Pittsburgh, was the first-ever World Series game scheduled to be played at night....
as Baltimore lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
in seven games.
Retirement
Powell had been an American LeagueAmerican League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
all-star
All-star
All-star is a term designating an individual as having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry...
for four straight years (1968–1971). However, Oriole manager Earl Weaver
Earl Weaver
Earl Sidney Weaver is a former Major League Baseball manager. He spent his entire 17-year managerial career with the Baltimore Orioles . Weaver was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996.-Playing career:After playing for Beaumont High School in St...
believed in making liberal use of the platoon system
Platoon system
The platoon system in baseball is a method of designating two players to a single defensive position—usually one right-handed and one left-handed. Typically the right-handed half of the platoon is played on days when the opposing pitcher is left-handed and the left-handed player is played otherwise...
, and in 1973 and 1974, Powell fell victim to it, limiting his at-bats in both years. The aging slugger was traded to Cleveland with Don Hood
Don Hood
Donald Harris Hood , was a professional baseball player who played pitcher in the Major Leagues from 1973-1983. He played for the Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, St. Louis Cardinals, and Kansas City Royals.-External links:...
for Dave Duncan
Dave Duncan (baseball)
David Edwin Duncan is an American former professional baseball player and current pitching coach for the St. Louis Cardinals...
and a minor leaguer before the season, affording Powell the chance once again to play every day. He responded well to the challenge, hitting .297 with 129 hits and -27 home runs for the Indians that year (his highest marks since 1970), plus fielding his position at a .997 clip. But he hit only nine home runs in and none as a pinch-hitter for the Dodgers in and was released August 31, 1977.
Career
In a 17-season career, Powell posted a .266 batting averageBatting 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 :...
with 339 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s, 1187 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
and an impressive .361 on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
in 2042 games
Games played
Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,...
. Powell hit three home runs in a game three times, and was second only to Eddie Murray
Eddie Murray
Eddie Clarence Murray , nicknamed "Steady Eddie", is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and designated hitter. He was known as one of the most reliable and productive hitters of his era. Murray is regarded as one of the best switch hitters ever to play the game...
on the Orioles' all-time home run list before Cal Ripken Jr. surpassed Powell in .
In 1983, Powell received 5 votes for the Hall of Fame
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
(1.3% of all BBWAA voters) in his only appearance on the ballot.
See also
- List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI
External links
- Baseball Library - profile