Boog Powell

Note: This page is for 1960s and 1970s first baseman Boog Powell; for the outfielder who made his debut in 2017, click here.

John Wesley Powell

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 6' 4", Weight 240 lb.
• Hgh School Key West High School
• Debut September 26, 1961
• Final Game August 24, 1977
• Born August 17, 1941 in Lakeland, FL USA

BR page

Biographical Information

“In the South they call little kids who are often getting into mischief buggers, and my dad shortened it to Boog.” - Boog Powell, on his nickname's birth

1964 Topps

Boog Powell was a top star during his 17-year career. He was American League MVP in 1970, finished second in the 1969 vote and third in the vote in 1966. He had several other strong years as well. In 1964, he led the league in slugging percentage, in 1968 he was fourth in the league in RBI, and in 1975 he was third in the league in slugging percentage. His lifetime OPS+ is a quite respectable 134 - the top 100 players of all time start at 136, so he is close to the top 100.

He had just turned 20 when he made his major league debut in 1961 and was already a regular in 1962. He is the youngest player to have two three-homer games in his career: the first came on August 8, 1963 against the Washington Senators, and the second on June 27, 1964, also against the Senators when he still had not turned 23. He had another one in 1966.

Boog's brother, Charles Powell, played outfield in the Baltimore Orioles chain in 1962-1963 [1]. Boog is also the stepbrother of Carl Taylor; Powell and Taylor both played in the 1954 Little League World Series but their team did not advance to the finals of a Series that produced five major leaguers.

He jokingly called himself "the world's largest blood clot" when he played for the Cleveland Indians in 1975 because of their all-maroon uniforms. His first baseball card appearance was in the 1962 Topps set. Even in his 70s, he remains a fixture around Camden Yards, home of the Orioles, as his restaurant, Boog's BBQ, is one of the most popular places to eat at the ballpark.

Notable Achievements

• 1962 Topps All-Star Rookie Team
• 4-time AL All-Star (1968-1971)
• 1966 AL Comeback Player of the Year Award
• 1975 AL Comeback Player of the Year Award
• AL MVP (1970)
• AL Slugging Percentage Leader (1964)
• 20-Home Run Seasons: 9 (1963, 1964, 1966, 1968-1972 & 1975)
• 30-Home Run Seasons: 4 (1964, 1966, 1969 & 1970)
• 100 RBI Seasons: 3 (1966, 1969 & 1970)
• Won two World Series with the Baltimore Orioles (1966 & 1970)

AL MVP
1969	1970	1971
Harmon Killebrew	Boog Powell	Vida Blue

Further Reading

• Boog Powell (as told to George Vass): "The Game I'll Never Forget," Baseball Digest, February 1987, pp. 86-88. [2]

Related Sites

• Boog Powell at the SABR Bio Project
• Boog's BBQ