Boog Powell AL MVP Award

Lore & Background

Powell was born in Lakeland, Florida on August 17, 1941. He played for that city's team in the 1954 Little League World Series. After his family moved to Key West when he was 15, Powell played at Key West High School and graduated in 1959. He led Key West to a state championship. Powell received the nickname "Boog" from his father. As Powell explained, "In the South they call little kids who are often getting into mischief buggers (pronounced 'boogers'), and my dad shortened it to Boog."

Reader's Guide

Powell signed with the Baltimore Orioles as an amateur free agent in 1959. He played for the Bluefield Orioles in 1959, the Fox Cities Foxes in 1960, and the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings in 1961. He joined the Orioles late in 1961. He spent his first three seasons in Baltimore as a left fielder before switching to first base. He led the American League in slugging percentage in 1964 with a career-high 39 home runs. He won the American League Comeback Player of the Year in 1966. He was the American League Most Valuable Player in 1970. He was traded to the Cleveland Indians in 1975, and finished his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1977.

Did You Know?

• Powell played for the Orioles from 1961 to 1974, during which the team had three losing seasons (1961, 1962, and 1967).
• Powell hit three home runs in a game three times in his career.
• In 1983, Powell received five votes for the Hall of Fame (1.3% of all Baseball Writers' Association of America voters), and he also appeared on the ballot in 1984.