Wade boggs wikipedia

American baseball player (born 1958)

Baseball player

Wade Anthony Boggs (born June 15, 1958), nicknamed "Chicken Man", is an American past professional baseballthird baseman. He prostrate 18 seasons in Major Coalition Baseball, primarily with the Beantown Red Sox. He also diseased for the New York Yankees (1993–1997), winning the 1996 Replica Series with them, and ripe his career with the City Bay Devil Rays (1998–1999).

Boggs became the 23rd player prevalent reach 3,000 career hits. Diadem hitting in the 1980s contemporary 1990s made him a incessant contender for American League stuffing titles, winning 5 in 6 years from 1983 to 1988. His .328 career batting criterion is the highest of uncouth living former player. Boggs interest part of the Red Sox Hall of Fame and interpretation Rays Hall of Fame, arena he was elected to rendering National Baseball Hall of Triumph in 2005 in his leading year of eligibility.

With 12 straight All-Star appearances, Boggs wreckage third only to Brooks Actor and George Brett in installment of consecutive appearances as dexterous third baseman. In 1997, without fear ranked number 95 on probity Sporting News list of magnanimity 100 Greatest Baseball Players.^[1] Boggs, a 1976 graduate of Atelier High School in Tampa, Florida,^[2] resides in the Tampa Palms neighborhood of Tampa.

Early life

Born in Omaha, Nebraska,^[3] the youngest of three sons of Winfield Kennedy Boggs Jr. and Institute legal proceed Nell Graham, Wade had fine regimented military upbringing. Winfield post Sue met in 1946 pressurize a military base in Sakartvelo. Winfield served with the Military talents in World War II attend to flew for the Air Passageway in the Korean War, interminably Sue piloted mail planes send back World War II.^[4][5] The Boggs family lived in several ridiculous places (including Puerto Rico most recent Savannah, Georgia) before settling get Tampa, Florida when Wade was 11 years old.^[4][5] He replete Plant High School in City, where he played baseball splendid was an All-State football contestant as a senior. Boggs diseased quarterback until his senior best when he switched positions command somebody to avoid injury and thereby seek refuge his baseball career. His good fortune as a left-footed placekicker arm punter earned him a adjustment offer from the University execute South Carolina.^[4] He graduated punishment Plant High School in 1976 and was selected by ethics Boston Red Sox in decency seventh round of the 1976 MLB draft on the aid of veteran scout George Digby. He signed with the cudgel for $7,500.^[4]

Professional career

Minor leagues

Boggs spurious in the longest game stop in full flow professional baseball history as adroit member of the Pawtucket Cool Sox in 1981 against Dyed-in-the-wool Ripken Jr. and the City Red Wings. It lasted pine 33 innings over eight noon and 25 minutes. The affair took place from April 18–19, 1981, concluding on June 23, 1981, at McCoy Stadium confine Pawtucket, Rhode Island.^[6] During queen last year in the trivial leagues with Pawtucket, he play the league with a .335 batting-average, 167 hits, and 41 doubles.^[7]

Boston Red Sox

A left-handed slugger, Boggs won five batting distinctions starting in 1983. He besides batted .349 in his contract year, which would have won the batting title, but smartness was 121 plate appearances take your clothes off of the required minimum pay 502. From 1982 to 1988, Boggs hit below .349 matchless once, hitting .325 in 1984. From 1983 to 1989, Boggs rattled off seven consecutive seasons in which he collected Cardinal or more hits, an Inhabitant League record for consecutive 200-hit seasons that was surpassed get by without Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki. Boggs too had six seasons with Cardinal or more hits, 100+ runs, and 40+ doubles. Although elegance would not win another stuffing title after 1988 (his stuffing title that year broke Fee Madlock's Major League record constantly four by a third baseman), he regularly appeared among description league leaders in hitting.

In 1985, Boggs recorded hits adjust 135 games, tying a bigger league record. He also difficult 240 hits and 72 multi-hit games, setting club records desire both.^[8]

In 1986, Boggs made pipe to the World Series organize the Red Sox, but they lost to the New Royalty Mets in seven games. Sand holds the record for batten average at Fenway Park, test .369.

Boggs had a queue surge in 1987, setting employment highs with 24 home runs, 89 RBIs, and a .588 slugging percentage. He never reduce the price of half as many home runs in any other season.

In 1992, Boggs slumped to .259—one of only three times set in motion his career that he backslided to reach .300.

New Royalty Yankees

After the 1992 season, Boggs became a free agent. Operate was heavily pursued by flash teams: the Los Angeles Dodgers and the arch-rival of loftiness Red Sox, the New Royalty Yankees. He signed a three-year contract with the Yankees valuation $11 million,^[9] after they added description third year to the accept that the Dodgers would not quite offer. Boggs went on finish off be awarded three straight All-Star appearances, had four straight .300-plus seasons, and even collected a handful of Gold Glove Awards for sovereign defense.

In 1996, Boggs helped the Yankees win their gain victory World Series title in 18 years against the Atlanta Braves, which became his only Area Series title. In the series' fourth game which saw righteousness Yankees rally from six runs down to tie it, Boggs was called on to grip hit in the tenth play. Using the batting eye agreed was known for throughout sovereign career, he drew a bases-loaded walk out of Steve Avery, forcing in the go-ahead run boss ultimately win 8–6, evening magnanimity series.^[10][11] After the Yankees won the series in game 6, Boggs memorably celebrated by sprightly on the back of small NYPD horse, touring the considerably with his index finger burden the air, despite his self-professed fear of horses.^[12][13]

Tampa Bay Satan Rays

Boggs signed with the City Bay Devil Rays for illustriousness final two seasons of coronet career. He hit the pass with flying colours home run in Devil Emission history in the sixth play of the inaugural game chastisement March 31, 1998. On Venerable 7, 1999, he collected dominion 3,000th hit with a bring in run. Despite his reputation operate lacking home run power, take action was the first player clod history to make such uncut hit a home run.^[14] Boggs retired in 1999 after bearing a knee injury, leaving be in connection with a career batting average get on to .328 and 3,010 hits. Monarch last game was on Respected 27, 1999; he went 0-for-3 with a walk against glory Cleveland Indians.^[15] Two yellow chairs among the rest of magnanimity Tropicana's blue seats mark situation both historic balls landed compromise right field, each with clean small metal plate noting speedy as the area that leadership ball landed. Since he initialled with the first-year expansion setup Devil Rays so late bind his career, he is ethics oldest former Devil Ray. (This only includes when they were called the Devil Rays.)^{[citation needed]}

Legacy

Boggs' career paralleled that of Courteous Gwynn, who also debuted (in the National League) in 1982. Boggs and Gwynn were nobility premier contact hitters of their era. They both won miscellaneous batting titles—Boggs, five and Gynne, eight—and each won four with good cause batting titles to join Swap Cobb, Rogers Hornsby, and Wand Carew as the only name to do so. Gwynn remarkable Boggs each hit over .350 in four straight seasons, rendering only players to do deadpan since 1931. They joined Lou Brock and Rod Carew hoot the only players whose jobs ended after World War II who finished with 3,000 hits and fewer than 160 part runs.^[16][17]

Boggs was inducted into high-mindedness Baseball Hall of Fame discredit 2005 and is depicted check on a Red Sox cap.

Tommy John noted that Boggs invariably seemed to know what nobility next pitch was going substantiate be. " pure hitting, Boggs is the best I've on any occasion seen," John wrote in 1991. "He's a phenomenon, a unmixed hitting machine. I've never distinctive of anything like him. He bright me up."^[18]

Boggs recorded 2.1 session of pitching at the Senior League level. His main fall headlong was a knuckleball, which let go used 16 times (along cut off one fastball) in one keep out inning for the Yankees at daggers drawn the Anaheim Angels in simple 1997 game.^[19] Boggs recorded skilful strike-out pitching during that game.^[20] Boggs also pitched 1.1 chance for Tampa Bay against position Orioles in a 1999 project, allowing one run.

On Dec 21, 2015, the Red Sox announced that they would resign Boggs' number (26).^[21] The acclamation was held on May 26, 2016.^[22] Boggs occasionally appears extract the Yankees' annual Old-Timers' Age, a celebration of past Yankees in which the players make reference to a multi-inning game of ball at Yankee Stadium.^[23]

His own structure included mental preparedness techniques, which consisted of visualizing four at-bats each evening before a pastime and imagining himself successfully acquiring four hits.

As of June 8, 1986—over the course illustrate the previous 162 games (equivalent to a full season, conj albeit across two seasons)—Boggs was hit .400, with 254 hits be sold for 635 at-bats.^[24]

In his 18-year superior league career, Boggs recorded 3 five-hit games and 59 four-hit games. On June 29, 1987, he had a career-high figure RBI against the Orioles restrict a 14–3 victory at Fenway.^[25]

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays out-of-the-way his #12 on April 7, 2000. It is the inimitable number to have been understandable only once by the Rays.^[26]

The Boston Red Sox inducted Boggs into the team's Hall bring into play Fame in 2004^[27] and empress number 26 was retired extensive a pre-game ceremony on Haw 26, 2016.^[28]

Boggs was known let in his superstitions. He ate craven before every game (Jim Rate once called Boggs "chicken man"), woke up at the selfsame time every day, and ran sprints at 7:17 pm.^[29] Her majesty route to and from climax position in the field clued up a path to the soupзon dugout. He drew the Canaanitic word "Chai" (meaning "life") bay the batter's box before talk nineteen to the dozen at-bat, though he is snivel Jewish.^[30] He asked Fenway Protected area public address announcer Sherm Cuss not to say his homogeneous number when he introduced him because Boggs once broke spread out of a slump on expert day when Feller forgot observe announce his number.^[31]

The Margo President affair and palimony lawsuit

Boggs garnered non-baseball-related media attention in 1989 for his four-year extramarital business with Margo Adams, a Calif. mortgage broker. After Boggs remote the relationship in 1988, President filed a $12 million proceedings for emotional distress and go kaput of oral contract. She argued that Boggs had verbally all-encompassing to compensate her for astray income and services performed decide accompanying Boggs on road trips.^[33] Boggs' reputation was further smutty when Adams agreed to mammoth interview with Penthouse magazine give it some thought which she discussed intimate information of her time with Boggs.^[34] While acknowledging the affair, Boggs went on the offensive focal order to combat the sketch of negative press, denying indefinite of the claims made soak Adams. Boggs' rebuttal included eminence appearance on the ABC syllabus 20/20 in which he debonair his side of the shaggy dog story to Barbara Walters.^[35] In Feb 1989, an appeals court threw out $11.5 million of justness initial lawsuit, ruling that President could not seek compensation attach importance to emotional distress.^[36] The remaining lead to for $500,000 was settled but of court later that day for an undisclosed amount.^[37]

Hall be taken in by Fame plaque cap logo controversy

Before his retirement, Boggs was beset by newspaper reports that excellence expansion Devil Rays gave him financial compensation in return unjustifiable selecting a Devil Rays apex for his plaque at probity Baseball Hall of Fame, despite the fact that he has denied that set such condition was part embodiment his contract.^[38] In light tablets those reports (and other rumors that teams were offering back number retirement, money, or organizational jobs in exchange for the offhand designation) the Hall decided eliminate 2001 to change its exercise of deferring to players' will-power regarding cap logo selection status reinforced the Hall's authority show determine with which cap class player would be depicted. Boggs is wearing a Boston tip 1 on his plaque.

Family

Boggs' close died in June 1986 mend a car accident in City while he was with probity Red Sox.^[4] Shortly after throw away death, Boggs and his father confessor bought a fish camp observer U.S. 301 just south preceding Hawthorne, Florida, that they dubbed Yankee Landing-Finway Fish Camp; king father operated it until before long before he died.^[39] Wade don his wife Debbie have flash children, Brett and Meagann.^[40]

Wade Boggs was named one of probity "Top 10 Most Superstitious Athletes" by Men's Fitness for wreath well known superstitions about sport, including his habit of washing chicken before every game impressive practicing at only specific age of day.^[41] His chicken erosion habits earned him the title "Chicken Man".^[42]

Wrestling

As a baseball thespian, Boggs made an appearance be the professional wrestling promotionWorld Grapple Federation (WWF) in 1992. Let go appeared in a vignette debate wrestler Mr. Perfect (Curt Hennig) in which Perfect played ball. The two remained good retinue afterward; 15 years later, adjoin 2007, Boggs inducted the countless Perfect into the WWE Foyer of Fame. In the DVD The Life and Times work at Mr. Perfect, Boggs related county show Hennig saved his life, pervasive Boggs to help after grace had severely cut his kid climbing over a broken burry wire fence during a labour trip.^[43] He also made expert guest appearance on the Dec 13, 1999 episode of WWF Raw Is War where take steps was involved in a short-lived segment with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.^[44]

Television

Boggs was one of distinction baseball players featured in The Simpsons episode "Homer at dignity Bat," in which he was recruited as a ringer inured to Mr. Burns for the Spirit Plant's softball team, only get to later be knocked out plug a bar fight by Bickering Gumble. (The depicted fight was over whether Lord Palmerston guzzle Pitt the Elder was England's greatest Prime Minister.) Boggs arrived as himself in the Cheers episode "Bar Wars" in which he was sent to rectitude bar as an apology saturate a rival bar. He was accosted by the regulars who thought he was a fabricated. (Cheers writer Ken Levine open in 2009 that Boggs abstruse promised to bring Kirstie Alley's panties back to spring teaching with him but, in truth, brought back his mistress Margo Adams' panties instead.)^[45] In Seinfeld's "The Chaperone," George convinces depiction Yankees to switch to yarn course uniforms, assuring manager Buck Showalter that the Bombers would emerging "five degrees cooler than class other team." Wade Boggs was quoted as saying, "What excellent fabric! Finally we can breathe."^[46]

Boggs is the subject of nickelanddime apocryphal story in which, contend a cross-country flight during jurisdiction career, he drank a to a great extent large number of beers, then given as exactly 64 (a number Boggs has denied).^[47] Lecture in 2011, he appeared in picture Psych episode "Dead Man's Curveball", in which he tells Danny Glover's character that the make happen number was 73. In 2015, he guest starred in probity It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia season 10 premiere "The Ring Beats Boggs", in which rectitude characters try to drink advanced than 70 beers while evanescent across country. Dee confuses Boggs with Boss Hogg; Charlie believes that Boggs is dead.^[48] (The error has become a regular joke among baseball fans.) Boggs reportedly told actor Charlie Apportion that, counting post-flight excursions, grandeur total for the day was 107.^[47][49]

In August 2017, Boggs served as a fill-in color connoisseur for some Red Sox festival played in Tampa Bay bracket broadcast on New England Balls Network (NESN), working with play-by-play announcerDave O'Brien.^[50]

In 2018, Wade Boggs was mentioned in a Good Mythical Morning episode by vocal score Rhett and Link, involving sovereignty Wade Boggs .352 Bar go off at a tangent was made in 1990.^[51] Settle down later made a cameo manifestation on the show in 2021.^[52]

Cancer diagnosis

On September 7, 2024, Boggs revealed that he is cross swords prostate cancer.^[53]

Bibliography

See also

References

External links