BALTIMORE -- The A's Boog Powell will soon meet the man responsible for the name he took on at age 5, with plans in place for the young outfielder to spend time with Orioles legend Boog Powell on Tuesday.
The meeting of the Boogs is set to unfold at Boog's BBQ just beyond the center-field bleachers on Eutaw Street, where the elder Powell has been serving up barbecue for 25 years. It's also near the same location where young Powell hit his first career home run in Monday's 7-3 loss at Camden Yards.
"He asked me what kind of meat I liked," the A's Powell said, smiling, "so I think he's going to make something good."
• Powell's first homer heads for Boog's BBQ
"That'll be cool," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "Talk about your legends, especially here, and I've played here before, so I know about the history in this place, and it is significant in baseball lore, and he is one of the most popular players in Baltimore Orioles history."
The A's Powell was born Herschel Mack Powell IV.
"My parents started calling me Boog, because I needed a real name," Powell said. "I went by Little Mack as a kid, but it didn't stick."
His father knew of the Orioles' Powell, who counted off 303 home runs during a 14-year tenure in Baltimore (1961-74), and decided the name also suited his son, who for years fought it. He preferred going by "Mack" at school, but he couldn't shake "Boog" at baseball practice, and at age 18 it officially stuck.
Now, he said, "I like Boog. I'll stick to Boog."
The original Boog Powell, John Wesley Powell, helped the Orioles to two World Series championships and also claimed American League MVP honors in 1970. He had a 6-foot-4 frame and weighed 230 pounds during his playing days; the A's Powell is listed at 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds.
"It'll be interesting meeting the other one," the younger Powell said, "because he's so big and I'm so small."
They're also hoping to include 12-year-old Jeffery "Boog" Powell -- who has drawn headlines during the Little League World Series -- in their powwow via FaceTime.
"I'm just excited to meet him," Oakland's Powell said. "All the fans come up to me and say, 'Have you met him? You gotta try his BBQ. It's so good.' Everybody says it's amazing."
Worth noting
• A's catcher Bruce Maxwell, who took a ball to the face mask during Saturday's game in Houston, is expected back in the lineup Tuesday. He said Monday he felt much better after clocking 11 hours of sleep the night before, and return to action as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning, grounding into a double play.