Doc Powers
Born: 9/22/1870 in Pittsfield, MA, USA
Died: 4/26/1909 in Philadelphia, PA, USA
MLB Debut: 1898-06-12 | Final Game: 1909-04-12
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'8" | Weight: 160 lbs
Full name: Michael Riley Powers
Biography
Doc Powers, born in 1870, was a notable position player in Major League Baseball who played from 1898 until 1909. His career spanned a transformative period in the sport, witnessing the evolution from the deadball era into a more modern baseball landscape. Over the course of his career, Powers appeared in 647 games, where he established himself as a reliable, albeit underappreciated, player. He recorded 450 hits, contributing to a .216 batting average, while also driving in 199 runs and hitting 4 home runs.
Powers was known for his speed on the bases, finishing his career with 27 stolen bases, a significant number for his time. His playing style reflected the gritty, competitive nature of the era, where small ball tactics were often favored over power hitting. Although he may not have achieved the same level of fame as some of his contemporaries, Powers left a lasting impact on his teams and the game, embodying the hard-nosed spirit of early 20th-century baseball. After retiring in 1909, he remained a part of baseball history, representing a generation of players who laid the groundwork for future stars.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 647 | 2088 | 183 | 450 | 72 | 13 | 4 | 199 | 27 | 72 | 297 | 0.216 | 0.248 | 0.268 | 0.516 | -7300.9 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1898 | LS3 | NL | 34 | 99 | 13 | 27 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 19 | 1 | 5 | 13 | 0.273 | 21.3 |
| 1899 | LS3 | NL | 49 | 169 | 15 | 35 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 22 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 0.207 | -849.6 |
| 1899 | WAS | NL | 14 | 38 | 3 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0.263 | -849.6 |
| 1901 | PHA | AL | 116 | 431 | 53 | 108 | 26 | 5 | 1 | 47 | 10 | 18 | 55 | 0.251 | -725.2 |
| 1902 | PHA | AL | 71 | 246 | 35 | 65 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 39 | 3 | 14 | 26 | 0.264 | -165.7 |
| 1903 | PHA | AL | 75 | 247 | 19 | 56 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 1 | 5 | 35 | 0.227 | -960.2 |
| 1904 | PHA | AL | 57 | 184 | 11 | 35 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 6 | 27 | 0.190 | -898.3 |
| 1905 | NYY | AL | 11 | 33 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0.182 | 0.0 |
| 1905 | PHA | AL | 19 | 61 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 0.131 | 0.0 |
| 1905 | PHA | AL | 21 | 60 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 0.167 | 0.0 |
| 1906 | PHA | AL | 58 | 185 | 5 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 42 | 0.157 | -1354.0 |
| 1907 | PHA | AL | 59 | 159 | 9 | 29 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 28 | 0.182 | -795.4 |
| 1908 | PHA | AL | 62 | 172 | 8 | 31 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 35 | 0.180 | -717.3 |
| 1909 | PHA | AL | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.250 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.143 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1905 | WS | PHA | 3 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.143 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 37 | 7 | 284 | 17 | 9 | 9 |
| C | 594 | 259 | 2670 | 724 | 124 | 44 |
| OF | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1898 | LS3 | C | 22 | 0 | 58 | 17 | 3 | 2 |
| 1898 | LS3 | 1B | 6 | 0 | 51 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 1898 | LS3 | OF | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1899 | LS3 | C | 38 | 0 | 118 | 27 | 9 | 5 |
| 1899 | LS3 | 1B | 7 | 0 | 43 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 1899 | WAS | C | 12 | 0 | 37 | 12 | 3 | 0 |
| 1899 | WAS | 1B | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1901 | PHA | C | 111 | 0 | 400 | 137 | 27 | 6 |
| 1901 | PHA | 1B | 3 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 1902 | PHA | C | 68 | 0 | 229 | 110 | 18 | 5 |
| 1902 | PHA | 1B | 3 | 0 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1903 | PHA | C | 66 | 0 | 349 | 86 | 8 | 3 |
| 1903 | PHA | 1B | 7 | 0 | 49 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 1904 | PHA | C | 56 | 55 | 338 | 52 | 14 | 6 |
| 1904 | PHA | OF | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1905 | NYA | C | 4 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1905 | NYA | 1B | 7 | 7 | 72 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| 1905 | PHA | C | 19 | 18 | 87 | 22 | 1 | 2 |
| 1905 | PHA | C | 21 | 20 | 115 | 27 | 11 | 2 |
| 1906 | PHA | C | 57 | 54 | 299 | 79 | 10 | 2 |
| 1906 | PHA | 1B | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1907 | PHA | C | 59 | 53 | 313 | 80 | 7 | 8 |
| 1908 | PHA | C | 60 | 55 | 303 | 74 | 13 | 3 |
| 1908 | PHA | 1B | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1909 | PHA | C | 1 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 596 |
| First Base | 36 |
| Left Field | 1 |
| Right Field | 1 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| College of the Holy Cross | Worcester | MA | 1894, 1895, 1896 |
| University of Notre Dame | South Bend | IN | 1897, 1898 |