{{Short description|American baseball player (1856–1888)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox baseball biography |name=Martin Powell |position=First baseman |image=Martin Powell.jpg |bats=Left |throws=Left |birth_date={{birth date|1856|3|25|mf=y}} |birth_place=Fitchburg, Massachusetts, U.S. |death_date={{death date and age|1888|2|5|1856|3|25}} |death_place=Fitchburg, Massachusetts, U.S. |debutleague = MLB |debutdate=June 18 |debutyear=1881 |debutteam=Detroit Wolverines |finalleague = MLB |finaldate=August 10 |finalyear=1884 |finalteam=Cincinnati Outlaw Reds |statleague = MLB |stat1label=Batting average |stat1value=.283 |stat2label=Home runs |stat2value=3 |stat3label=Runs batted in |stat3value=115 |teams= *Detroit Wolverines (1881–1883) *Cincinnati Outlaw Reds (1884) }} '''Martin J. Powell''' (March 25, 1856 – February 5, 1888) was an American professional baseball player from 1878 to 1884. He played four seasons of Major League Baseball as a first baseman for the Detroit Wolverines from 1881 to 1883 and the Cincinnati Outlaw Reds in 1884.
In his rookie season in the major leagues, Powell compiled a .338 batting average that was second in the National League behind only Cap Anson. In 279 games over five major league seasons, he compiled a .283 batting average with 213 runs scored, 43 doubles, 11 triples, three home runs, and 115 runs batted in. Powell retired after the 1884 season due to impaired health and died of consumption (an arcane term for tuberculosis) in 1888 at age 31.
==Early years== Powell was born in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, in 1856. He began playing baseball as a boy,<ref name=DFP2/> and played amateur baseball with the Grattan Club. In his amateur career, he played as both a catcher and a first baseman.<ref name=Obit>{{cite news|title=A Noted Player Dead: The Ex-First Baseman, Martin J. Powell, Goes To His Long Rest|newspaper=Sporting Life|date=February 15, 1888|page=2|url=http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/SportingLife/1888/VOL_10_NO_19/SL1019001.pdf}}</ref>
==Professional baseball career==
===Minor leagues=== In 1878, Powell began his professional baseball career as a first baseman and "change catcher" for the Lowell, Massachusetts, team in the International Association.<ref name=DFP2/><ref name=Minor/> He compiled a .309 batting average and .858 fielding percentage.<ref name=DFP1/>
The following year, he played first base for the Holyoke, Massachusetts, team of the National Association and compiled a .368 batting average.<ref name=Minor>{{cite web|title=Martin Powell Minor League Statistics|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=baseball-reference.com|accessdate=June 8, 2014|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=powell001mar}}</ref> His batting average was the second-highest in the league.<ref name=DFP1/> Holyoke finished the year ranked second among the eight teams competing for the International Cup.<ref name=DFP2/>
In 1880, Powell played first base for the Washington, D.C., team in the National Association. The team finished in first place in their league,<ref name=DFP2/> and Powell had a .292 batting average and 74 total bases in 48 games.<ref name=Minor/> The National Association disbanded after the 1880 season, and Powell began the 1881 season with the Washington baseball club which that year joined the Eastern Championship Association.<ref name=Minor/>
===Major leagues=== In the middle of June 1881, Powell was recruited by Frank Bancroft to join the Detroit Wolverines of the National League. He replaced first baseman Lew Brown who had been released by the team for alcohol and disciplinary reasons.<ref name=DFP1>{{cite news|title=Sporting Matters: How the Management Look Upon the Release of Brown; Providence Wins a Victory From the Detroits, Five to Nothing; Reilly Plays First Base, Powell Arriving too Late for the Game |newspaper=Detroit Free Press|date=June 18, 1881|page=1}}</ref> Upon joining the Wolverines, Powell was described as being six feet tall, "rather spare in build, although weighing 175 pounds, brown hair and eyes and gentlemanly in appearance."<ref name=DFP2>{{cite news|title=Sporting Matters: The Detroit Base Ball Club Comes Home With Pennants Flying; Personal Description and Record of Powell and Mountain; The Detroits to Play With the Troys This Afternoon |newspaper=Detroit Free Press|date=June 24, 1881|page=6}}</ref> In his rookie season at Detroit, Powell compiled a .338 batting average and .380 on-base percentage, both of which led the Detroit team and ranked second in the National League behind Cap Anson.<ref>{{cite web|title=1881 National League Batting Leaders|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=baseball-reference.com|accessdate=June 8, 2014|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL/1881-batting-leaders.shtml}}</ref> He stayed with the Detroit club for three full seasons, batting .240 in 1882 and .273 in 1883. He also led the National League in 1883 in both double plays (62) and errors at first base (54).<ref name=BR>{{cite web|title=Martin Powell Statistics and History|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=baseball-reference.com|accessdate=June 8, 2014|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/powelma01.shtml}}</ref>
In 1884, Powell jumped to the newly formed Union Association, playing for the Cincinnati Outlaw Reds. He compiled a .319 batting average in 43 games for the Outlaw Reds.<ref name=BR/>
In 279 games over five major league seasons, Powell compiled a .283 batting average with 213 runs scored, 43 doubles, 11 triples, three home runs, and 115 runs batted in.<ref name=BR/>
==Later years== After the 1884 season, Powell retired from baseball due to impaired health and went into business with his brother. He died of consumption (an outdated term usually referring to tuberculosis) at his home in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, in February 1888. He was 31 years old at the time of his death.<ref name=Obit/> Following his death, a writer in the ''Sporting Life'' noted: "Martin Powell was a model man, a kind friend, a devoted Catholic, loved and respected by all."<ref name=Obit/> He was buried at St. Bernard's Cemetery.<ref name=Obit/>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Powell, Martin}} Category:Major League Baseball first basemen Category:Detroit Wolverines players Category:Cincinnati Outlaw Reds players Category:Lowell (minor league baseball) players Category:Holyoke (minor league baseball) players Category:Nationals of Washington players Category:Baseball players from Fitchburg, Massachusetts Category:19th-century baseball players Category:19th-century American sportsmen Category:19th-century deaths from tuberculosis Category:1856 births Category:1888 deaths Category:Tuberculosis deaths in Massachusetts