Only 5 feet 4 inches (1.63 m) tall, Popowski, a second baseman, began playing in the Red Sox farm system in 1937 after touring with the barnstorming, semi-professional baseball club "the House of David" as the only non-bearded player on the squad. He never played in the big leagues, but began a 21-year minor league managerial career in 1941 with the Centreville Red Sox in the Class D Eastern Shore League. With time out for U.S. Army service during World War II, he would manage and coach with Red Sox farm teams through 1966. He spent many years managing at the Class A and Double-A levels, working patiently with Boston prospects. In his only Triple-A managerial role, in 1960, he was the last skipper in the history of the Minneapolis Millers of the American Association. Led by future Baseball Hall of FamerCarl Yastrzemski, who batted .339, the Millers posted an 82–72 record but finished out of the playoffs. They were succeeded by the major league Minnesota Twins in 1961.
Not counting his Centreville tenure, Popowski compiled a record of 1,568 wins and 1,357 losses (.536), with four pennants, during his career as a minor league manager.[1] He also served as a coach for the Triple-A Louisville Colonels in 1951–52.
MLB coach
In 1967, Popowski was promoted to the parent Red Sox as third-base coach under Dick Williams. That season, the Red Sox, who had finished ninth in the ten-team American League in 1966, stunned the baseball world by winning their first pennant since 1946. Popowski was Boston's third-base coach for seven seasons, through 1973.[2] As a third-base coach, he was notable for flipping the ball behind his back to the pitcher when one came to rest inside his coach's box. He had learned the trick with the House of David.
Popowski twice served out a season as acting manager, relieving Williams in 1969,[3] and Eddie Kasko in 1973, the latter for only one game.[4] Popowski won six of the ten major league contests that he managed.[2]
Popowski remained on Boston's MLB staff under new manager Darrell Johnson as first-base coach in 1974,[2] and was a special assignment coach in 1975, when the Red Sox once again won the American League pennant. He was a bench coach for the Red Sox during the 1975 World Series.
In 1976, Popowski began the year as a minor league instructor but he returned to the Boston coaching staff to fill the vacancy created July 19 when Don Zimmer was promoted to manager after Johnson's firing. Popowski coached at third base for part of the season,[2] and in the dugout.
In 1977, he returned to Boston's farm system for good as a roving infield instructor and coordinator of Boston's extended spring training program. Although his responsibilities were gradually reduced as he grew older, he remained active in the Red Sox system through 2001, and his 88th birthday. A field in Boston's training base at Fort Myers, Florida, was named in his honor.
References
^Howe News Bureau, Boston Red Sox 1982 Organization Sketch Book
