Jake Powell

Alvin Jacob Powell (July 15, 1908 – November 4, 1948), was an outfielder for the Washington Senators (1930, 1934–36 and 1943–45), New York Yankees (1936–40) and Philadelphia Phillies (1945).

Powell helped the Yankees win the World Series every year from 1936 to 1939 and batted .455 in the 1936 series. In eleven seasons, he played in 688 games and had 2,540 at bats, 353 runs, 689 hits, 116 doubles, 26 triples, 22 home runs, 327 RBI, 65 stolen bases, 173 walks, a .271 batting average, .320 on-base percentage, .363 slugging percentage, 923 total bases and 43 sacrifice hits.

Asked by WGN radio announcer Bob Elson how he stayed in shape during the offseason, in a dugout interview in a July 1938 game versus the Chicago White Sox at Comiskey Park, Powell replied to Elson that he was a policeman in his hometown of Dayton, Ohio (in reality he had only applied), and that he "beat n-----s over the head with my blackjack." He was subsequently suspended for 10 days by Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis, for making "an uncomplimentary reference to a portion of the population." He was later ordered by the Yankees to walk through Harlem as an act of apology, accompanied by noted Black aviator Hubert Julian. The racist Powell also purposefully collided with Jewish star Hank Greenberg, costing Greenberg his season after only 12 games with a broken wrist.

Powell played in 31 games in 1939 and 12 games in 1940 before the Yankees sold him to the minor leagues.

In the fall of 1944, during World War II, Powell served as an emergency police officer in Montgomery County, Maryland. He returned to baseball at the start of the 1945 season.

In 1948, Powell tried to make a comeback, playing in 31 games for the Gainesville G-Men of the Florida State League, but batted just .220.

In November 1948, Powell was arrested in Washington, D.C. for passing bad checks. He drew a revolver while at a police station and committed suicide.