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| 1995 Topps #244 Brian Powell RC |
The Free Press has some details on Powell's journeyman career, and his constant battle to make the major leagues and stick there. He enjoyed two stints with the Tigers, in 1998 and 2002, part of his 59 total major league games. Yet while he may be forgotten by many Tigers fans, at least one Tigers collector remembers him. This was one of the cards that I needed to track down and trade for to complete my 1995 set, and I did so last year. Trivial perhaps, but baseball cards may be bigger than most people realize. If nothing else, they create a lasting record, history and memory of a player, no matter how big or how small. Through baseball cards, you get 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" inches of fame, the same as the Hall of Famers and All Stars before you.
I offer a brief and insufficient eulogy from the back of Powell's rookie card:
The Tigers' earnest effort to rebuild their farm system through pitching yielded the polished Powell in the draft's second round. Brian once struck out 20 hitters in a high school game and was third-round pick of the Angels in 1992. He chose, however, to attend Georgia, where he led the SEC in whiffs in '95.
