Hosken Powell

Hosken Powell

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 1", Weight 185 lb.
• School Chipola Junior College
• High School Woodham High School
• Debut April 5, 1978
• Final Game July 1, 1983
• Born May 14, 1955 in Selma, AL USA
• Died June 27, 2025 in Pensacola, FL USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Hosken Powell's first career home run came off of future Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer. His third career home came off of future Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins. He hit more home runs off Palmer (2) than any other pitcher in his career. He had Palmer's number in general, batting .300/.323/.633 in 30 at-bats against him. Versus Jenkins, he did even better: .333/.429/.625 in 24 ABs.

He played four seasons for the Minnesota Twins, from 1978 to 1981, then two with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1982 and 1983. He played over 100 games in each of his first three seasons, and would likely have reached the number again in 1981 were it not for the strike. He once again topped 100 games for the Blue Jays in 1982, but in his final season he hit just .169 in 40 games and played his final game on Canada Day, July 1st. While he posted a decent batting average in some of these seasons, his OPS+ was always below 100 due to a lack of power and walks.

His roommate at Chipola College was future longtime MLB manager Buck Showalter.

According to Craig Finn of the Hold Steady, Powell's nickname was "The Face" because he was handsome.

A 1987 article about the 1981 Minnesota Twins says that Powell's nickname was "Neutral" because he was never in gear.

Notable Achievements

• 1978 Topps All-Star Rookie Team