L. Mark Purtell was a long-time minor league baseball player and manager. He also scouted for the New York Giants

San Francisco Giants

The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....

, Boston Braves

Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....

, and 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...

.

He is the brother of Billy Purtell

Billy Purtell

William Patrick "Billy" Purtell was a third baseman who played five seasons in Major League Baseball with the Chicago White Sox , Boston Red Sox , and Detroit Tigers ....

.

A shortstop and third baseman, Purtell played from 1908 to 1939, with occasional interruptions in-between. For example, he did not play in 1914, 1918, 1919, 1925, 1927, 1932, 1935 or 1937. He was never a strong hitter, hitting near the Mendoza Line

Mendoza Line

The Mendoza Line is an expression in baseball in the United States, deriving from the name of shortstop Mario Mendoza, whose lifetime batting average is taken to define the threshold of incompetent hitting...

 multiple times and never hitting more than six home runs in a season. His statistical record is incomplete, however it is known that he had at least 1,541 hits, of which at least 190 were doubles, 40 were triples and 12 were home runs.

Managerial career

Purtell managed for 18 seasons. He skippered the Hutchinson Wheat Shockers (1923-1924, 1933), Springfield Midgets

Springfield Midgets

The Springfield Midgets were a minor league baseball team that played from 1903 to 1904 in the Missouri Valley League and from 1906 to 1909 and 1921 to 1930 in the Western Association. Based in Springfield, Missouri, they were affiliated with the St. Louis Browns in 1930.-Year-by-year record:...

 (1925-1926), St. Joseph Saints

St. Joseph Saints

The Saint Joseph Saints were a Western Association and Western League baseball team based in St. Joseph, Missouri, USA. They were affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1930, the Chicago Cubs in 1940 and the New York Yankees in 1954.They won three straight league championships, from 1933 to...

 (1927), Joplin Miners

Joplin Miners

The Joplin Miners were a baseball team that lasted on and off from 1902 to 1953. They played in Joplin, Missouri. Initially, the team was known as the Colts before changing to Miners during the first season of play....

 (1927-1928, 1932), Independence Producers

Independence Producers

The Independence Producers were a minor league baseball team based in Independence, Kansas, USA that played from 1921 to 1925 and from 1928 to 1932. From 1921 to 1924, they played in the Southwestern League, and in 1925 they played in the Western Association. They played in the Western Association...

 (1929-1932), Hutchinson Miners (1932), Bartlesville Bronchos (1933), Bartlesville Reds (1934-1935), Fremont Reds (1936), Mobile Shippers (1937-1939) and Paris Lakers

Paris Lakers

The Paris Lakers were a minor league baseball team which played in Paris, Illinois. The team played in the Midwest League from 1950-1959. The Lakers' home field was Twin Lakes Park....

(1956).

League championships

Purtell led six teams to league championship victories, averaging one every three years:

Team, Year

• Springfield Midgets, 1926
• Joplin Miners, 1928
• Independence Producers, 1930
• Mobile Shippers, 1937
• Mobile Shippers, 1938
• Paris Lakers, 1956