Top 50 Players In Baltimore Sports History: Countdown 30-21

24. Boog Powell, 1B, Baltimore Orioles

September 29, 2012; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles manager

(left) and former Oriole player Boog Powell (right) during the Orioles Legends Ceremony honoring

prior to a game against the Boston Red Sox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

Powell was a part of what was considered “Baltimore’s glory years”. In 1966, Powell, along with Frank Robinson and Brooks Robinson, led the Orioles to the 1966 World Series, where they surprised the baseball world by sweeping the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers in four games to become baseball’s World Champions. Powell fought through injuries in the early part of his career, but he played 150 games in each year from 1968 through 1970.

In 1969, he hit a career-high .304 with 37 home runs and 121 runs batted in. In 1970, he hit 35 home runs and 114 RBIs on his way to earning the American League Most Valuable Player award. In the 1970 world series, Powell homered in the first two games as the Orioles defeated the Cincinnati Reds in five games.

Prior to the 1971 season, Powell appeared on the front cover of Sports Illustrated’s baseball preview before helping the Orioles to a third straight World Series that year, blasting a pair of home runs in game two of the 1971 American League Championship Series against the up-and-coming Oakland Athletics; but he hit only .111 in the 1971 World Series as Baltimore lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates in seven games. In 17 seasons, Powell posted a .266 batting average while hitting 339 home runs and 1,187 RBIs. He is third on the Orioles all-time home run list.

23. Ken Singelton, OF, Baltimore Orioles

Singleton was drafted out of Hofstra University by the New York Mets as the third overall pick in the 1st round of the 1967 Major League Baseball Draft. He made his major league debut with the Mets on June 24, 1970 at the age of 23. In April of 1972 he was traded to the Montreal Expos. Two years later, he was traded over to the Orioles for Dave McNally.

During his ten years in Baltimore, Singleton played the best baseball of his career as the Orioles won two pennants (1979 and 1983) and won the 1983 World Series. In 1977, he posted a career-high .328 batting average, which was third-highest in the AL. In 1979, he hit career-highs in home runs (35) and RBIs (111). 

In his fifteen-year career, Singleton played in 2,082 games, accumulating 2,029 hits for a .282 career batting average along with 246 home runs, 1,065 runs batted in and an on-base percentage of .388. Singelton ranks among the Orioles all-time leaders in a number of offensive statistics.