Remembering Yankees of the Past: Wade Boggs

The Boston Red Sox announced that they would be retiring the #26 formerly worn by one of their greatest players, Mr. Wade Boggs. Boggs made his name as a member of the Boston Red Sox but despite that and the fact that he hit his 3000^th hit as a member of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays I will personally always remember him as a New York Yankee. Boggs came over to man third base, eat chicken, win World Series rings and flips cars. The good news for the Bronx Bombers was that Boggs was all out of cars. So in honor of the Red Sox retiring the chicken man’s number we remember a Yankee of the past, we remember Wade Boggs.

In 1992 Wade Boggs slumped to a .259 batting average which was only one of three times in his career that he failed to reach the .300 mark. Boggs left Boston at the end of that season and was heavily recruited by both the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Yankees. We wouldn’t be here speaking about him if he hadn’t chose the Yankees as New York added a third year to a contract offer that Los Angeles would not. Boggs rewarded the Yankees with three straight All Star appearances, four straight seasons of hitting .300 or better, and won a Gold Glove award while in New York.

Boggs helped the Yankees win their first World Series championship in 18 years in 1996, Boggs’ only World Series title of his career. Boggs was asked to pinch hit in the tenth inning of Game 4 against the Atlanta Braves and drew a bases loaded walk against Steve Avery that gave the Yankees the lead and eventually led to an 8-6 victory. The Yankees came back from six runs in that game and the Yankees won in six games. Boggs most memorable moment was when he was celebrating the victory by riding a on the back of a horse with an NYPD officer touring the field with one finger raised in the air. Boggs was scared of horses but Boggs was a champion.

Boggs finished his career by collecting his 3,000th hit in a Tampa Bay Devil Rays uniform. What could have been though if he had been at third base in that 1996 World Series Game 6 six and not Charlie Hayes. Boggs may never get a plaque in Monument Park and won’t get much recognition at all as a member of the Yankees but we thank him anyway, have some chicken on us.