Red Sox will retire Wade Boggs’ number
The Red Sox announced Monday that the team will retire Wade Boggs’ No. 26 on May 26.
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The Hall of Famer’s .338 batting average with the Red Sox is second only to Ted Williams.
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Boggs also won five batting titles and six Silver Slugger awards in his 11 seasons in a Red Sox uniform (1982-1992). The third baseman was an eight-time All-Star with the club and had 200 or more hits in seven consecutive seasons.
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Boggs said he had “goose bumps’’ after the announcement:
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His No. 26 will be the 10th on Fenway Park’s right-field façade, joining: Bobby Doerr’s No. 1, Joe Cronin’s No. 4, Johnny Pesky’s No. 6, Carl Yastrzemski’s No. 8, Ted Williams’ No. 9, Jim Rice’s No. 14, Carlton Fisk’s No. 27, Pedro Martinez’s No. 45, and Jackie Robinson’s No. 42.
“Wade Boggs was the best third baseman in Red Sox history and one of the best hitters of his generation,’’ Red Sox principal owner John Henry, who also owns Boston.com, said in a statement. “Whether it was his legendary hand-eye coordination or the discipline of his highly superstitious routine, his ability to hit line drive after line drive was remarkable.’’
Boggs’ 1,520 games at third base are a club record for that position, and only seven players have appeared in more games for the Red Sox. The left-handed hitter, who amassed 3,010 hits overall, finished his 18-year career with the New York Yankees (1993-1997) and Tampa Bay Devil Rays (1998-1999).
With Boggs’ number retired, current No. 26 on the Red Sox, Brock Holt, will switch to No. 12.
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Holt congratulated Boggs on Twitter.
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Boggs, 57, lives in Tampa. The Red Sox host the Colorado Rockies on May 26.
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