The Great Wade Boggs

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The Great Wade Boggs
Saturday, September 17, 2005

Written by James Fohl

If you think of baseball players of the Boston Red Sox of the nineteen eighties, which player comes to your mind first? Names like Roger Clemens, Carlton Fisk probably quickly enter your mind if you are a fan of the Boston Red Sox, and if you are not a fan of the Boston Red Sox, then perhaps the name Wade Boggs enters your head.

Wade Boggs was third basemen for the Boston Red Sox from 1982 to 1992, before being traded to the New York Yankees. Wade was a left hander, and pretty much dominated the American League when it came to batting. In his rookie year of 1982, Wade batted an incredible batting average of .349 just a preview of what he was capable of.

Over the next ten years, Wade Boggs managed to win an impressive five batting titles. He would have managed to capture six batting totals, but he was 121 plate appearances short of the required number during his rookie season. Not only did he win five batting titles, but he was also elected to the All Star game to every All Star game from 1985 to 1996.

Wade Boggs also had great ability in hitting the ball. Although his record high for home runs during a season was only twenty four, Wade Boggs still had a very impressive batting average, which averaged out to .328 over seventeen seasons of play (which included eleven for the Red Sox, five for the New York Yankees, and the final two for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays).

Not only was Wade Boggs remembered for his feats on the field, but also the activities that involved him off the field. In 1988, Wade admitted to having adulterous affairs, which caused him to be involved in a lawsuit with a former mistress the following year.

Another interesting aspect about Wade Boggs was the fact that the All Star ball player was very superstitious. He would wake up everyday at the exact same time. On days which he would be playing baseball, he would eat chicken. While practicing, he would only field one hundred and fifty ground balls, not one more and not one less. Wade would also engage in batting practice at exactly 5:17, and would follow up with running sprints at 7:17. Even when Wade Boggs stepped up to the batter's box, he still continued with his superstitions by drawing the Hebrew word for life at every at bat.

Although Wade Boggs was found to be a very superstitious player, nobody can claim that Wade was not one of the finest Major League professional baseball players of the 1980's and perhaps even the 1990's. He may have not set any home run records, but Wade did manage to set a lot of records, many that have the chance to never be broken. Wade's number twelve jersey has been retired by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, however it has not been retired by the Boston Red Sox. Wade Boggs has however been inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame.

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