O's Boog Powell Meets Athletics' Boog Powell At Camden Yards
BALTIMORE (AP) — Boog Powell, meet Boog Powell.
The name's the same, and they're both known for playing baseball. It's a bit early, however, to start comparing their home run swings.
Former Baltimore slugger Boog Powell met with Oakland Athletics leadoff hitter Boog Powell at the popular "Boog's BBQ" stand beyond the right-field wall at Camden Yards before the O's hosted the A's on Tuesday night.
They're not related, but they knew plenty about each other before they met.
"Every time I play somewhere I'd hear it from the stands," the younger Powell said. "He said he's heard about me, too. He gets asked if I am his grandson."
The elder Powell hit 339 home runs in the big leagues. The other guy has one — a drive on Monday night that came down in the vicinity of Boog's barbecue stand.
"I honestly think my home run here was the biggest thrill for me," said the younger Boog, who pointed out the landing spot to the four-time All-Star. "Hitting it here, where everybody knows who he is. Hitting it out to him. And him hearing my name announced. A great experience for both of us."
Herschel Mack Powell IV, now 24, became known as Boog Powell nearly two decades ago.
"My parents wanted to give me a nickname," he said. "My dad gave it to me when I was 5 and it stuck."
It wasn't until Tuesday that he met the man behind the nickname.
"It's crazy. I always told myself I would meet him here playing in the big leagues, going to his barbecue. And it actually happened," young Boog said.
After the two men talked about baseball and home runs, they sauntered over to get some food at Boog's barbecue stand. The 76-year-old — known for his enormous appetite — asked the kid what kind of sandwich he wanted.
"Got beef, pork, turkey or a mix of all of them," big Boog said.
The younger Boog took pork, and munched on it while they chatted some more in front of a place that's kept John Wesley "Boog" Powell popular in Baltimore.
"He is bigger than life," young Boog said. "After the career he's had, some guys sometimes fall off the radar. But he is so good with the fans. Every fan I have talked to going through the minors had asked me if I met him."