Friday, September 8, 2017
no. 700 - boog powell
Who is the man: Boog Powell was coming off his MVP season when this card was issued. Even though his traditional stats were slightly off from his 1969 performance, his advanced stats were slightly better and he was rewarded with the AL honor.
Can ya dig it: There you see by the signature that Powell's actual first name is John, not that anyone has called him that.
Right on: Wondering who the guy in the distance is.
You see that cat Powell is a bad mother: Powell's 339 career home runs still rank in the top 100 all-time (98th at last report).
Shut your mouth: I just clicked on a Boog Powell link and it turned up that dude on the A's calling himself Boog, and that still annoys me way more than it should. Find your own nickname.
No one understands him but his woman: Powell's last season in 1977 was as a pinch-hitter for the Dodgers. He appeared in 50 games and all but one was in a pinch-hitting role. He started one game at first base on Aug. 15, the second game of a doubleheader against the Giants. He went 1-for-3 from the No. 5 spot. He was released 16 days later. And I'm still mad I didn't get a Topps card of Powell as a Dodger.
(A word about the back): The centerfield hedge at Memorial Stadium used to be the marking point for legendary home runs. Clear that and you had walloped one. Harmon Killebrew hit a famous hedge-clearer off of Milt Pappas two years after Powell's.
The guy who plays for the A's is named Herschel. He had the nickname Boog bestowed upon him by friends and family and has run with it. FWIW, he's a really nice guy. I've heard the same about his namesake.
ReplyDeleteAs an O's fan who lives nowhere near Baltimore, one of my favorite moments of any Camden game is getting in line for his bbq and autograph.
ReplyDeleteIf you listen to MP3's of Orioles games from early in his career, you hear them talk about an outfielder named Johnny Powell. It took me a long time to realize that Johnny Powell and Boog Powell were the same guy.
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