Bill Powell

Born: 5/8/1885 in Taylor County, WV, USA

Died: 9/28/1967 in East Liverpool, OH, USA

MLB Debut: 1909-04-16 | Final Game: 1913-04-28

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 182 lbs

Full name: William Burris Powell

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Biography

Bill Powell was a professional baseball pitcher who played from 1909 to 1913, making a notable impact during the early years of the 20th century. Born in 1885, Powell's career was characterized by his ability to maintain a commendable earned run average of 2.87 across his appearances, showcasing his effectiveness on the mound during a time when scoring was often lower than in later eras. Despite finishing his career with a record of 4-8, his contributions to his teams were significant, as he struck out 25 batters while serving primarily as a starting pitcher. In an era that predated the widespread integration of Major League Baseball and was marked by varying styles of play, Powell's skill set highlighted the importance of pitching in the game. While he did not accumulate saves in his career, his ERA reflects a competitive edge that allowed him to hold his own against some of the best hitters of his time. Powell's tenure in baseball, though brief, contributed to the evolving narrative of the sport during the early 1900s, as players like him helped set the stage for the future of pitching in Major League Baseball.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
76.0	70.0	11.0	17.0	2.0	0	0	7.0	5.0	0	0	0.243	0.293	0.271	0.564

Pitching

W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA
69.0	0	0	68.0	49.0	0	0	0.0	434.0	215.0	71.0	13.0	0	0	1.23

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season	PA	AB	R	H	2B	RBI	BB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
1946	9.0	9.0	1.0	2.0	1.0	2.0	0	0.222	0.222	0.333	0.555
1947	13.0	11.0	2.0	1.0	0	0	2.0	0.091	0.231	0.091	0.322
1948	29.0	26.0	6.0	8.0	1.0	2.0	2.0	0.308	0.357	0.346	0.703
1949	24.0	23.0	2.0	6.0	0	3.0	1.0	0.261	0.292	0.261	0.553
1950	1.0	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	.000

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Pitching

Season	W	GS	CG	H	R	ER	HR	ERA
1946	8.0	13.0	9.0	66.0	38.0	9.0	2.0	1.01
1947	16.0	12.0	9.0	71.0	26.0	6.0	4.0	0.60
1948	25.0	26.0	18.0	172.0	96.0	39.0	5.0	1.78
1949	19.0	17.0	13.0	123.0	54.0	16.0	2.0	0.95
1950	1.0	0	0	2.0	1.0	1.0	0	3.00

Career Pitching Statistics

W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA	Pitcher PIV
4	8	17	11	4	2	0	84.7	76	27	0	43	25	2.87	0

Career ERA 2.87 vs. league average 2.94 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year	Team	Lg	W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA	Lg ERA	Pitcher PIV
1909	PIT	NL	0	1	3	1	0	0	7.3	7	3	6	2	3.68	—	0.0
1910	PIT	NL	4	6	12	9	4	2	75.0	65	20	34	23	2.40	2.79 (+14%)	-973.5
1912	CHC	NL	0	0	1	0	0	0	2.0	2	2	1	0	9.00	—	-
1913	CIN	NL	0	1	1	1	0	0	0.3	2	2	2	0	54.00	—	0.0

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
17	26	2	7	1	0	0	0	0	1	5	0.269	0.296	0.308	0.604	0.0

Career AVG .269 vs. league average .256 across their career seasons — +5.3% above league average.

Career OBP .296 vs. league average .321 across their career seasons — 7.8% below league average.

Career SLG .308 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — 8.5% below league average.

Career OPS 0.604 vs. league average 0.658 across their career seasons — 8.1% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS
1909	PIT	NL	3	3	0	1	0	0	1	0.333	—	—	—	—
1910	PIT	NL	12	23	2	6	1	1	4	0.261	—	—	—	—
1912	CHC	NL	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—
1913	CIN	NL	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—