"I can't wait until he turns 90, because it means he'll still be here," said first baseman Boog Powell, 75, who played with Robinson for 14 years. "I've admired and loved him since day one, in 1960, when my dad dropped me off [at age 18] in spring training. When I got out of the car, Brooksie happened to be there, and introduced himself, and told my dad, 'Don't worry, Mr. Powell, I'll take care of him.' And he did that the whole time I was with the Orioles.