Abilene native, Ted Power, enshrined in Kansas Sports Hall of Fame Sunday
Oct. 6—WICHITA — Former major league baseball pitcher Ted Power, an Abilene native, was enshrined in the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in Wichita this past Sunday.
Power, a 1973 Abilene High School graduate, spent 13 years in the majors pitching for eight franchises over that time. Drafted out of Kansas State by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fifth round of the 1976 MLB draft, he finished a professional career with a 68-69 record and a 4.00 ERA, accumulating 701 strikeouts and 70 saves over 564 games.
Power played for Los Angeles, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Detroit, St. Louis, Pittsburg, Cleveland, and Seattle during his illustrious career. In 1984, Power led the National League with 78 appearances with registering a career-high 27 saves the next season. In 1990, he made his only postseason appearance of his career in the National League Championship Series as a member of the Pittsburg Pirates. Power got the start in the sixth game and went three innings, allowing a run on three hits.
Power, who couldn't play high school baseball for Abilene because the school did not have a baseball program at the time, attended Kansas State University where he was a three-time letter winner for the Wildcats 1974-1976. While at K-State, he set a single-game school record with 19 strikeouts recorded versus Wayne State on March 18, 1976 — a record that still stands today. He ended that season with a 2.34 ERA before being drafted by the LA Dodgers.
Following his playing career, Power got into coaching and spent 11 seasons as a pitching coach with the Louisville Bats, the Triple A affiliate for the Cincinnati Reds. He was then promoted to be the bullpen coach for the Reds in 2016 and coached through the 2018 season.
The Kansas Sports Hall of Fame now includes 56 representatives with ties to Kansas State and with the 2023 Class, the 59th Anniversary Class, bringing the total to 329 members.
The Class of 2023 includes Wichita native and All-American softball player at the University of Kansas, JILL LARSON BRADNEY; All-American decathlete and three-time Division II track and field Coach of the Year at Pittsburg State University, RUSS JEWETT from Olathe; three-time All-Missouri Valley Conference basketball selection and honorable mention All-American from Wichita State University, LYNBERT "CHEESE" JOHNSON; Negro Leagues Baseball triple crown hitter OSCAR "HEAVY" JOHNSON from Atchison; long-time Wichita State baseball assistant coach and athletic department official, BRENT KEMNITZ; eight-time All-American selection in cross country and track at Pittsburg State, CHRISTIE ALLEN LOGUE from Altamont; professional golfer and two-time member of the United States Ryder Cup Team, HAROLD "JUG" MCSPADDEN from Monticello; 14 year Major League Baseball player RAY MUELLER from Pittsburg; K-State baseball player and thirteen year Major League Baseball veteran TED POWER from Abilene; 17-time professional soccer All-Star selection from the Wichita Wings, KIM RØENTVED; 1984 honorable mention All-American basketball selection and two-time all-conference selection RICKY ROSS from Wichita; two-time Missouri Valley Conference volleyball player of the year and 2007 All-American selection SARA LUNGREN WALKUP from Caldwell.
