William Powell was one of the Negro League players
signed by Major League teams in the early 1950’s that did not make it out of
the minor leagues. After coming out of
the military service in 1946, he pitched for the Birmingham Black Barons five
years; leading them in 1948 to the Negro American League pennant. The 6’2 ½’, 195 pound right hander started
two games for the Black Barons against the Homestead Grays in that year’s Negro
League World Series. Powell also was the
winning pitcher in the 1948 Negro League East-West All Star game.
He was 31 years old in 1950 when he was signed by
the Chicago White Sox. Powell spent the
next 11 years in the minor league system of five teams, the White Sox,
Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, and Minnesota
Twins.
There were other former Negro League players who had
a fate similar to Powell. Some were
signed by teams that had a racial quota, only a specific small number of
African American players could be on their Major League roster. Others were on teams that were really not
committed to playing African American players, signed them only as a public
relations show; and purposely held them back.
There were also Negro Leaguers, like Powell, who
were passed their prime playing years; but were still good enough to make a
living playing a long time in the minor leagues. He pitched until 1961, he was then 42 years old.
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