An e-mail from Calyn Dougherty asked if I could shed any light on the Philadelphia playing career of her great-grandfather, Michael Riley Powers. She also wondered if there ever was a baseball card of him.

Doc Powers, as he was known, is one of the most tragic figures in Philadelphia sports history. Yet, because he played so long ago, few people have ever even heard of him.

He was born in 1870 in Pittsfield, Mass., and made the major leagues in 1898 with Louisville of the National League.

He was called Doc because he had earned an M.D. and actually was a physician. He was the kind of mature and intellectual player that Connie Mack liked, so when the Athletics were formed in 1901 Powers was a member of the first ballclub. He had been out of baseball in 1900 after being released by Washington (then in the NL) in 1899.

Powers was mostly a backup catcher, appearing in more than 100 games only once in his 11-year major league career and owning just a .216 lifetime batting average. Powers, in fact, batted under .200 in five of his seasons. He was with the A's until 1909, except for an 11-game stint with the New York Highlanders in 1905, for whom he batted .182 and was dispatched back to Mr. Mack.

Powers was the A's starting catcher April 12, 1909, when they opened their brand-new stadium, Shibe Park, at 21st and Lehigh. It was the only game he would play in 1909; in fact, he would be dead by April 26.

During the game he complained of severe stomach pains, which he suspected was food poisoning, and was rushed to the hospital. Family legend was that he died of appendicitis, Calyn Dougherty said. But that wasn't it. Once he was admitted to Northwest General Hospital, surgery was performed and gangrene was discovered in his twisted intestines. They removed a foot of intestine and he subsequently developed peritonitis, that required even more surgery. Two weeks later they tried again, and this time he failed to survive the operation. He was 38. More than 10,000 came to his funeral, and his pallbearers included some A's teammates.

The following season an all-star game of sorts, featuring players from the A's, Yankees, Red Sox and Senators, was held in June. The event was called Doc Powers Day, and more than $8,000 was raised - a fortune in those days - and presented to Powers's widow and children.

As for the other question, Powers appeared on two baseball cards, the T-206 and E-107 issues in the early 1900s.

AND THEN. . .

Do you know the connection between Richie Ashburn and this summer's blockbuster movie, "The Blair Witch Project"? Almost a decade ago, Upper Darby hobbyist Jim Donahue created the "Richie Ashburn, Why The Hall Not?" campaign in an effort to correct the oversight that had kept Ashburn out of the Hall of Fame. The crusade ultimately rattled enough cages, stirred enough emotions, and got the beloved Whitey a spot in Cooperstown where he belonged.

Donahue worked relentlessly on the project and I had the honor to be the first signature on the first petition. I would see Jim at hobby shows and camped out at the Veterans Stadium with his petitions. At times, he'd have his little girl with him.

Well, that little girl was Heather Donahue, the star of "Blair Witch" and today one of Hollywood's hottest properties. Is that cool or what?

Remember not so long ago when Rembrandt, the hobby-supply giant, bought out archrival PPK? If you'll recall Rembrandt's vice president said at the time that "it was good for business" and she was right. There's now a shortage of nine-pocket plastic sheets. Prices have increased due to the shortage. Imagine that.
In August I was a guest on Comcast SportsLight when Al Simmons was in town to show off Todd McFarlane's collection of Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa baseballs. Simmons, a college pal of McFarlane's (and the alter ego of McFarlane's comic book superhero, Spawn) let me hold the 70th home-run ball hit by McGwire. It was the first time I ever held anything worth $2.7 million - and you know what, it felt like a $12 baseball.

McFarlane, of course, could be left with some pricey, dirty old baseballs worth far less than he paid, should new standards be set. It seems unlikely this season, though, with McGwire at 63 and Sosa sitting on 62 and the seasons ending Sunday.

Sports Investment International's Michael Jordan Auction that ended on Sept. 2 generated $263,000, with 283 items sold. A lot of items didn't sell, and Philadelphia restaurateur Jimmy Rubino Jr. (Ralph's Italian Restaurant) was disappointed since some of those that didn't sell were among the 100-plus items that had been part of his highly regarded Jordan collection.

Two big surprises for Rubino came when Jordan's game-used 1990-91 Bulls jersey failed to attract the minimum $15,000 bid and collectors didn't snatch up his extensive collection of Jordan grade school, high school and college yearbooks.

"I'm amazed because had those items been in auction a couple of years ago, when I was actively collecting, I'd have probably dropped a fortune on them," he said.

Rubino is trying to decide his next step in selling the leftover items.

"I have decided that they will be sold," he said, "I just have to decide on the correct way to do it."

Longtime Kansas City radio talk show host Randy Cook does two daily shows on the hobby. Listeners all over the country can follow his broadcasts on www.kklo.com on the Internet. Cook's programs are now sponsored by Upper Deck.
Anne Goldman Baker, of NBA Properties, a longtime influence in the basketball trading card market, has left sports and joined Baker Associates (no relation), a New Jersey based ad agency where she will manage the Nabisco account. Anne was one of the nicest people I worked with in big-league sports and I join all her friends in wishing her well.
Ted Taylor has been a lifelong collector of baseball cards and sports memorabilia. He has run memorabilia shows in the area and written for various publications. Taylor is president of his own Abington, Pa., area public relations/marketing firm. He also is president of the Philadelphia Athletics Historical Society.

Michael Powers