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Show Baltimore Great Boog Powell Shows Human Side Of Superstardom. . . By DAVE WIGHAM Clipper Sports Thanks to a good friend, Ken Hackmeister, this reporter got to sit down and that with ex-Baltimore Oriole great Boog Powell last week. BOOG WAS in town as a representative for Lite Beer one of the sponsors of the annual Pioneer Days fastpitch Softball tournament held last weekend at the Cottonwood Complex. Com-plex. Being a spokesperson for this company is an enjoyable one for Boog, "1 never made this much money playing baseball" he laughed. "Plus I've got more recognition from those commercials than I ever did on the diamond." He did admit that at times the people coming up and playing like they're the umpire on the commercials gets a little old but for the most part he enjoys the life of a celebrity. ONE OF the most asked questions by the media of Boog is why he never stayed in baseball, base-ball, either as a coach or even a manager. "I never had any interest in that aspect of the game. I reached a point in my career, I was 35 years old, that I could see the end of that career. I had been in baseball for twenty years and to tell you the truth I was burned out and wanted to get into something else. At that point 1 purchased a marina in Florida. I still own and operate that marina." Of course the media had to ask Boog about his key memories from baseball. There are two that stick out in my mind. The first was my first official at bat in the majors. It was at Yankee Stadium with 70,000 fans watching. I was so nervous. I struck out on three straight pitches. To tell you the truth the guy could have the ball over the backstop and 1 would have swung at them" he joked. "The second memory was playing the the 1966 World Series, that was a childhood dream come true. OTHER PEOPLE in attendance had other memories of Boog. Like the time he had 11 runs batted in during a double header, or the three games' that he hit three home runs in each. But the above two mentioned were Boogs favorites. The one thing that Boog regrets, although he says he has none at all, is the fact he never earned a Golden Glove for his play at first base. "1 took great pride in my defense. I remembered remem-bered in 1976 1 led the league in fielding percentage percen-tage but they gave the Golden Glove to George Scott. He had 14 errors that year while I only had four. Yea, I was an excellent first baseman." HIS SIZE was also a big factor in his career. Many felt he was too big, weighed too much but he didn't feel that way. "It was funny because be-cause in 1972 when I won the league MVP I weighed 280 pounds. Then two years later I was down to 240 pounds and people were saying I was overweight. I never could figure that one out." Part of staying up in weight was a mental thing, and Boog feels that the mental aspect of the season on ball players isn't taken into consideration con-sideration enough. "I honestly feel that the long season wears on a player mentally more than physically. If I spent my time thinking about my weight I would be in trouble." BOOG WOULD also like to see the season shortened. Those guys and us, play 162 games in 175 days. That's 13 days off and then you have to consider that much of that time is spent traveling. They should only have to play about 100 games per year, maybe up to 150 but that should be all." The average guy thinks the players arrive at the park about two hours before the game time but Mr. Powell was never one of those guys. "I was always the first guy at the park and the last to leave. I would get there about 3 p.m. for a night game. I had this ritual of getting in the whirlpool and then going for a rubdown from the trainer. Besides on the road it gets boring at the hotel so you go to the park." ASKING BOOG about today's game is a little lit-tle touchy, as it is with most ex-players but Boog is very honest. "I see a lot of changes in the game. The money is fine with me, let them get what they can but I honestly don't feel the fundamentals are in the game today as much as they were. Artificial turf has a big part of that. For instance it's almost impossible to put down a bunt on that stuff, it's just like a two bouncer back to the pitcher if it isn't laid down perfect. In the old days bunting was a big part of the game, now it doesn't seem to be." The managers are another subject to Boog. "The owners can't fire all 25 players so the mangers get the ax. Managers don't win or lose the games, or maybe they can win five games a year but it's the players. No manager past or living could have won with the team I was on in Cleveland." MOST VALUABLE Player in the major league is a big time accomplishment. Puts the guys' in the superstar category but you would never accuse Boog Powell of being a spoiled superstar. He's as down to earth as anyone, a pleasant man to talk with. KWt injnin mill m JWMfmL-WW" " i hi -- s l ... ' - - . , i - s -ci;v ... ' : . .'v : rv ..... . ' '' u- !- S - " k f I ! - - v-HM0i- ) (- - ''-a 1 X.X: - , ij -tvH"V 'VJ r . TVV . : w v -x V ' " One of the best things to come out of doing these commercials is that it gives me die opportunity to travel throughout the country and .meet some great people. Like those great kids I got to meet up at Camp Kostopulos. I enjoy meeting people ail around America, especially the kids. The notarity and money are Fme but it's meeting the people that makes it worth while, i ' i ,' ..'.,.,' ,, , zzs |
