Threads of Lefty: From Ace Farmhand to the GI World Series

Private Larry “Lefty” Powell sits with his former manager, Lefty O’Doul in the dugout at Seals Stadium (Courtesy of Zak Ford).

In his Fresno Athletics Hall of Fame bio, Lawrence Milton “Lefty” Powell is credited as being part of seven pennant-winning teams in a five-year span. Though the actual number of teams listed that won pennants is six as two of the teams mentioned, Visalia and Fresno of the 1946 California League, did not qualify as Stockton and Modesto faced each other in the championship.

• 1946 Red Sox (American League Champions)
• 1946 San Francisco Seals (Pacific Coast League Champions)
• 1946 Salt Lake City Bees (Pioneer League Champions)
• 1947 Los Angeles Angels (Pacific Coast League Champions)
• 1948 Des Moines Bruins (Western League Pennant)
• 1950 Yakima Bears (Western International League Champions)

However, Powell was on seven championship teams in six years when considering his presence on the star-studded 1945 Third Army champions roster.

Threads of Lefty: From Ace Farmhand to the GI World Series, Part I tells of Powell’s ascension from the farms of Central California to the left-handed ace of Frank “Lefty” O’Doul’s San Francisco Seals. Capturing the attention of major league scouts, Powell was paired with a legendary Seals outfielder in a two-player deal that netted the Seals an unheard of $100,000.

Lefty Powell’s wartime baseball uniform when he played for the 18th Field Artillery Battalion team (Chevrons and Diamonds Collection).

The winds of war were blowing in Europe and Asia bringing about the peace-time draft at home. Powell, like Hugh Mulcahy and Hank Greenberg found himself in the uniform of his country months before the United States was attacked at Pearl Harbor. Threads of Lefty: From Ace Farmhand to the GI World Series, Part II follows Powell during his armed forces tenure and beyond and showcases an historic piece from Powell’s wartime service.