As a ballplayer, Boog Powell was great at the plate,” recalls The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Klingaman (link courtesy Repoz and Baseball Think Factory) . “As a gourmand, he may be be even better…so we wondered: What does Boog the barbecue baron keep in his own refrigerator? What epicurean delights await the one-time American League MVP when he raids the icebox at midnight?” Thus begins one of the great adventures in Orioles coverage this side of Scott Templeton’s Opening Day 2008 story — a guided tour of Boog’s refrigerator.

“Let™s see … there™s a 12-pack of Miller Lite, but that™s a given,” said Powell. “There are four kinds of hot sauce I made from the peppers in my garden, some homemade chow chow “ it™s real good on hot dogs “ and my own pickled green tomatoes. They are wonderful in martinis, better than olives because I add cayenne to the tomatoes to add sharpness. Makes you want to take another sip.”

“Here are two lamb shanks that I™ll brown, then put in the slow cooker for seven hours with some limas, onions, celery, carrots and rosemary. That™s real good. I know people who threaten to drive up from Florida just to have some.”

What else is in Boog™s fridge?

“Worcestershire sauce made from scratch. It™s a whole lot better than Lea & Perrins,” he said. “Oh, look “ here™s a three-pound tub of peeled garlic that cost $4 at Sam™s Club. In six weeks, when it gets too ugly to use, I™ll just throw it out and go get some more.”

What, no moldy bread, fuzzy cream cheese or sour milk?

“I had some asparagus that looked like it had been around for about 11 years,” he said. “But I™ve taken all of the science projects out of there.”

Then he opened the freezer. Inside were several geese, a couple of rabbits, a half-dozen lobster tails, two rockfish fillets, sea bass, four slabs of ribs, a ribeye steak, a capon, some ground conch, country sausage and five pounds of crabmeat that Powell put up last summer.

“Hey!” he said, head buried in the grub. “Here™s the creamed spinach I made to go with my oysters rockefeller. That™s a secret recipe to die for.”