Red Sox to Retire Wade Boggs Uniform Number

[a700hitter]

Red Sox to retire Hall of Famer Boggs' No. 26

By Ian Browne / MLB.com | @IanMBrowne | 4:00 PM ET

 

BOSTON -- Hall of Famer Wade Boggs, who won all five of his career batting titles with the Red Sox, will have his No. 26 retired on the right-field façade at Fenway Park in a pregame ceremony on May 26.

 

Boggs, who was a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee in 2005, is wearing a Red Sox cap on his plaque.

"I am so humbled and honored to be among the greatest legends to ever put on a uniform for the amazing city of Boston," Boggs said in a statement. "To say that your number will never be worn again is the highest honor an athlete can receive. Thank you."

 

Brock Holt, who wore No. 26 for the Red Sox the past two years, will switch to No. 12.

 

Boggs broke into the Major Leagues with the Red Sox in 1982 and patrolled third base at Fenway through the '92 season. He signed with the Yankees as a free agent and played in New York for five seasons before finishing his career with two seasons in his home town of St. Petersburg.

 

The left-handed hitter was known for a keen eye and superb bat control.

 

The Red Sox won the American League East three times with Boggs as the starting third baseman and came just one strike from winning the 1986 World Series, only to lose to the Mets in seven games. Boggs went on to win a World Series championship for the Yankees in '96.

 

In 11 seasons with the Sox, Boggs was an eight-time All-Star and led all Major Leaguers in batting average (.338), hits (2,098), doubles (422), on-base percentage (.428) and times reaching base safely (3,124). He led the league in on-base percentage six times, earned six Silver Slugger awards and recorded at least 200 hits in a franchise-record seven seasons.

 

"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 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. We congratulate our first-ballot Hall of Famer on this recognition."

 

Boggs' .338 batting average with the Red Sox is second only to Ted Williams, and no one has played more games at third base in team history.

 

The other numbers retired at Fenway are 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, which is retired throughout Major League Baseball.

 

"I am part of a generation that grew up watching Wade Boggs play at Fenway Park," Red Sox president Sam Kennedy said in a statement. "For those of us who came early for BP, we could count on Wade religiously signing autographs every single day, as well as launching baseballs off the Monster day in and day out. This is a long overdue acknowledgement of a player who is arguably the best pure hitter in Red Sox history. We look forward to affixing his number 26 in its rightful place alongside the great legends on Fenway Park's right-field facade."

 

Ian Browne is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Holt will have to change his number.

[Youk Of The Nation]

"Arguably the best pure hitter in Red Sox history". Does Sam Kennedy think that Red Sox history started in the 80s or something? Boggs was great, there is no denying that, but, I know this may be controversial, I'm pretty sure Ted Williams is the best pure everything in Red Sox history. (Except the pitching stuff, obviously.)

[mvp 78]

Boggs is a horse riding, Devil Ray cap in HOF contracting SOB. No love.

[a700hitter]

This did surprise me. I can't get the horse riding episode out of my head.

[Bellhorn04]

"Arguably the best pure hitter in Red Sox history". Does Sam Kennedy think that Red Sox history started in the 80s or something? Boggs was great, there is no denying that, but, I know this may be controversial, I'm pretty sure Ted Williams is the best pure everything in Red Sox history. (Except the pitching stuff, obviously.)

 

You are correct.

[Bellhorn04]

I guess I'm in the camp that thinks of Boggs as a major ******* who happened to play for the Sox.

 

But I have to say that if the Sox hadn't blown it in 1986 I would think more highly of him. In the infamous Game 6 he had 3 hits and a walk.

 

I'll say this, the current Sox ownership has been fantastic with the legacy stuff. Maybe it's all with a view to the bottom line, but that's OK.

[a700hitter]

As much as the horse thing bothered me, I have come to realize that Red Sox ownership just cast him aside and made no attempt to re-sign him. He still had good seasons in him and he was not that old. I no longer fault him for leaving the Red Sox or going to the Yankees. I have met him in person and spoke with him on the phone on another passion in recent years. I thought that he was a good guy. Many players will not engage fans in a conversation unless an MLB team is paying for them to be at the event. He deserves the honor. It will be interesting to see how popular the event will be.

[cp176]

Will Margot Adams be attending? Wade Boggs was a great hitter and good third baseman for the Sox for quite a while. i'm ambivalent with respect to him being honored in Boston. But hey - I think that Rose should be in the HOF right along with him. Just goes to show what I know. not much

[Spudboy]

I am sort of Meh about this. I am surprised at the announcement. I think that it is just PR for the Sox. An attempt to have another feel good celebration at Fenway.

 

I never really cared for Boggs the person from what I saw of him as a Red Sox. But he was a great contact hitter and he made himself into a GG 3rd baseman.

 

He was kind of a puke but I enjoyed watching him play on my favorite team.

 

Obviously Ted Williams was the best hitter in Sox history.

[Kimmi]

Boggs is a horse riding, Devil Ray cap in HOF contracting SOB. No love.

 

No love from me either. I don't usually begrudge players (like Ellsbury) for defecting to the Evil Empire. That said, Boggs and Damon are the exceptions. It makes me sick to even see a picture of either of them.

[mvp 78]

To me, the deal with the Devil Rays to wear a Devil Ray cap in the HOF was far worse than the Yankees thing. With Damon, he could have came back later in his career, but blocked the deal. Both are losers imo.

[jacksonianmarch]

He was one of the best 3b's in baseball history, clocks in at #5 behind Brett, Schmidt, Brooks, and Mathews on a few lists. The #5 player EVER at the position should have his number retired in the place he played the best.

[jacksonianmarch]

Ty Cobb didn't have his number retired, as he didn't have a number when he played, but his name is up there at Comerica. And he killed a guy. So lighten up on Boggs

[Dojji]

I agree with Jackson. I think we should also look forward to retiring Pedro's number as well as Rice, Evans and a few others. Heads would roll if they tried to retire Rajah, but that's strictly because of the off field crap that happened around him.

 

Either way the requirement that a player retire in this team's uniform is completely out of touch with modern baseball reality. Todd Heltons are vanishingly rare in this day and age, and it holds up players who damn well should be honored to an impossible standard. We should have as many numbers up on that wall as any franchise in the league and more than most but that stupid retire-here policy, which, thank god, they're FINALLY discarding if this news is any indication, has held us back from that point and hidden from us a large chunk of this franchise's modern history.

 

One person that I think should be honored that may wind up slipping under the radar is Jason Varitek. That man deserves a heck of a lot of credit for 2 different championships. He's the best catcher we've had in the modern era barring none and he and Fisk get to arm wrestle over who was the best catcher for this team overall. He deserves to be on the wall.

[Elktonnick]

Ty Cobb didn't have his number retired, as he didn't have a number when he played, but his name is up there at Comerica. And he killed a guy. So lighten up on Boggs

 

My objection to having the Red Sox "retire" Boggs's number has nothing to do with his personal life but rather his time spent with other teams. I believe that teams should only retire the numbers of very very few players. It should be exclusive to those few who have especially excelled during their time with a club and are players who in the public mind are linked exclusively to that one club, otherwise it "cheapens' the honor in my view. So I don't think Boston should have retired Fisk's number either.

[mvp 78]

I'd rather retire Rocket's # than Boggs'.

[a700hitter]

Clemens totally sucked up to Steinbrenner and affirmatively took swipes at Boston.

[Northern Star]

"Arguably the best pure hitter in Red Sox history". Does Sam Kennedy think that Red Sox history started in the 80s or something? Boggs was great, there is no denying that, but, I know this may be controversial, I'm pretty sure Ted Williams is the best pure everything in Red Sox history. (Except the pitching stuff, obviously.)

 

Williams was a scrub. So was that Carl dude with the last name that's worth 2 million points in Scrabble.

[Northern Star]

Ty Cobb didn't have his number retired, as he didn't have a number when he played, but his name is up there at Comerica. And he killed a guy. So lighten up on Boggs

 

There seems to be some question as to whether that's actually true.

[Northern Star]

My objection to having the Red Sox "retire" Boggs's number has nothing to do with his personal life but rather his time spent with other teams. I believe that teams should only retire the numbers of very very few players. It should be exclusive to those few who have especially excelled during their time with a club and are players who in the public mind are linked exclusively to that one club, otherwise it "cheapens' the honor in my view. So I don't think Boston should have retired Fisk's number either.

 

As Spud said, retiring numbers is now all about PR. The Yankees have turned it into an utter joke.

[Spudboy]

As Spud said, retiring numbers is now all about PR. The Yankees have turned it into an utter joke.

 

I said that it is possibly just a PR move retiring Bogg's number.

 

I did not say this was the case with other players.

[cp176]

Knowing that everything we do must now be judged by the political correctness police, to say that we should honor Boggs in this way and not Clemens is ridiculous. I will pass on attending that game. Now if we are going to choose who we honor based on how respectful they have been to the organization and how loyal they have been to their supposed New England roots that is another thing.

[SoxnCycles]

No love from me either. I don't usually begrudge players (like Ellsbury) for defecting to the Evil Empire. That said, Boggs and Damon are the exceptions. It makes me sick to even see a picture of either of them.

 

Yeah, can't say I'm all excited about a mercenary like Boggs getting his number retired.

That's one pre-game ceremony I won't mind missing.

[jacksonianmarch]

My objection to having the Red Sox "retire" Boggs's number has nothing to do with his personal life but rather his time spent with other teams. I believe that teams should only retire the numbers of very very few players. It should be exclusive to those few who have especially excelled during their time with a club and are players who in the public mind are linked exclusively to that one club, otherwise it "cheapens' the honor in my view. So I don't think Boston should have retired Fisk's number either.

 

For 10 seasons, he was the best player at his position and one of the best players in baseball, period. His numbers are stupid, seriously stupid. If he was around today, he'd be getting $35 mil a yr. One season he had a .478OBP. And that's pre roid era where offensive numbers were real.

[GomesBeard]

What's the issue with the Devil Rays cap? He's wearing a Sox cap in the HOF.....

[jacksonianmarch]

What's the issue with the Devil Rays cap? He's wearing a Sox cap in the HOF.....

 

You must be a youngin, lol. When Boggs was getting inducted, the player got to choose which cap they wear into the HOF. He tried to get paid to wear a devil ray cap into the hall by asking the Rays for a check. That instituted the new rule that the caps are decided for them by the HOF committee

[cp176]

For 10 seasons, he was the best player at his position and one of the best players in baseball, period. His numbers are stupid, seriously stupid. If he was around today, he'd be getting $35 mil a yr. One season he had a .478OBP. And that's pre roid era where offensive numbers were real.

 

There is absolutely no questioning the greatness of the player. Upon what criteria do you think current ownership relies on to determine the numbers that get retired? HOF/retired # - I did think the 2 always go hand in hand.

[cp176]

There is absolutely no questioning the greatness of the player. Upon what criteria do you think current ownership relies on to determine the numbers that get retired? HOF/retired # - I did think the 2 always go hand in hand.

 

 

Meant to say - I don't think the 2 go hand in hand.

[cp176]

Just as an aside - i really don't care what numbers the Sox decide to retire but if it was going to be a day for Dwight Evans, I might actually want to be there.

[jacksonianmarch]

If a player gets into the HOF, then they were very meaningful to SOME team. I consider the retiring of a number to be a step below HOF, so any HOFer should have their number retired, but not all number retirees should be in the HOF