Wade Boggs
⭐ Hall of Fame 2005
Born: 6/15/1958 in Omaha, NE, USA
MLB Debut: 1982-04-10 | Final Game: 1999-08-27
Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 190 lbs
Full name: Wade Anthony Boggs
Biography
Wade Boggs was a celebrated Major League Baseball player whose career spanned from 1982 to 1999. Born in 1958, he became renowned for his exceptional hitting ability and remarkable consistency at the plate. Over the course of 2,440 games, Boggs amassed 3,010 hits, achieving a career batting average of .328. His offensive prowess included 118 home runs and 1,014 RBIs, complemented by 24 stolen bases, showcasing his versatility as a position player. A twelve-time All-Star, Boggs was known for his meticulous preparation and his ability to read pitchers, which contributed to his status as one of the game's premier hitters during the late 20th century.
Boggs played the majority of his career with the Boston Red Sox, where he became a fan favorite and a cornerstone of the team's lineup. He was a key figure during the 1980s and 1990s, a time when batting averages and on-base percentages were pivotal metrics in evaluating player effectiveness. His disciplined approach at the plate and his legendary ability to hit for average helped redefine the role of a contact hitter in an era increasingly dominated by power hitting. After his tenure with the Red Sox, he also played for the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, leaving an indelible mark on the game and earning induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2440 | 9180 | 1513 | 3010 | 578 | 61 | 118 | 1014 | 24 | 1412 | 745 | 0.328 | 0.415 | 0.443 | 0.858 | 39859.0 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | BOS | AL | 104 | 338 | 51 | 118 | 14 | 1 | 5 | 44 | 1 | 35 | 21 | 0.349 | 1307.7 |
| 1983 | BOS | AL | 153 | 582 | 100 | 210 | 44 | 7 | 5 | 74 | 3 | 92 | 36 | 0.361 | 3984.8 |
| 1984 | BOS | AL | 158 | 625 | 109 | 203 | 31 | 4 | 6 | 55 | 3 | 89 | 44 | 0.325 | 2473.6 |
| 1985 | BOS | AL | 161 | 653 | 107 | 240 | 42 | 3 | 8 | 78 | 2 | 96 | 61 | 0.368 | 4588.1 |
| 1986 | BOS | AL | 149 | 580 | 107 | 207 | 47 | 2 | 8 | 71 | 0 | 105 | 44 | 0.357 | 4128.7 |
| 1987 | BOS | AL | 147 | 551 | 108 | 200 | 40 | 6 | 24 | 89 | 1 | 105 | 48 | 0.363 | 5096.4 |
| 1988 | BOS | AL | 155 | 584 | 128 | 214 | 45 | 6 | 5 | 58 | 2 | 125 | 34 | 0.366 | 5360.3 |
| 1989 | BOS | AL | 156 | 621 | 113 | 205 | 51 | 7 | 3 | 54 | 2 | 107 | 51 | 0.330 | 3815.8 |
| 1990 | BOS | AL | 155 | 619 | 89 | 187 | 44 | 5 | 6 | 63 | 0 | 87 | 68 | 0.302 | 1894.6 |
| 1991 | BOS | AL | 144 | 546 | 93 | 181 | 42 | 2 | 8 | 51 | 1 | 89 | 32 | 0.332 | 3004.0 |
| 1992 | BOS | AL | 143 | 514 | 62 | 133 | 22 | 4 | 7 | 50 | 1 | 74 | 31 | 0.259 | 378.2 |
| 1993 | NYY | AL | 143 | 560 | 83 | 169 | 26 | 1 | 2 | 59 | 0 | 74 | 49 | 0.302 | 331.1 |
| 1994 | NYY | AL | 97 | 366 | 61 | 125 | 19 | 1 | 11 | 55 | 2 | 61 | 29 | 0.342 | 1762.1 |
| 1995 | NYY | AL | 126 | 460 | 76 | 149 | 22 | 4 | 5 | 63 | 1 | 74 | 50 | 0.324 | 1254.1 |
| 1996 | NYY | AL | 132 | 501 | 80 | 156 | 29 | 2 | 2 | 41 | 1 | 67 | 32 | 0.311 | 376.6 |
| 1997 | NYY | AL | 104 | 353 | 55 | 103 | 23 | 1 | 4 | 28 | 0 | 48 | 38 | 0.292 | 231.0 |
| 1998 | TBR | AL | 123 | 435 | 51 | 122 | 23 | 4 | 7 | 52 | 3 | 46 | 54 | 0.280 | -41.0 |
| 1999 | TBR | AL | 90 | 292 | 40 | 88 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 29 | 1 | 38 | 23 | 0.301 | -87.1 |
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3.86 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | NYY | AL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.00 | - |
| 1999 | TBR | AL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6.75 | - |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 39 | 154 | 15 | 42 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 16 | 16 | 20 | 0.273 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | ALDS1 | NYA | 3 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.429 |
| 1996 | ALCS | NYA | 3 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0.133 |
| 1996 | WS | NYA | 4 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0.273 |
| 1996 | ALDS2 | NYA | 3 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.083 |
| 1995 | ALDS2 | NYA | 4 | 19 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 0.263 |
| 1990 | ALCS | BOS | 4 | 16 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0.438 |
| 1988 | ALCS | BOS | 4 | 13 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 0.385 |
| 1986 | WS | BOS | 7 | 31 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0.290 |
| 1986 | ALCS | BOS | 7 | 30 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0.233 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 67 | 55 | 564 | 58 | 3 | 49 |
| 3B | 2215 | 2168 | 1550 | 4246 | 229 | 423 |
| OF | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| P | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | BOS | 1B | 49 | 44 | 460 | 49 | 3 | 40 |
| 1982 | BOS | 3B | 44 | 39 | 28 | 119 | 5 | 11 |
| 1982 | BOS | OF | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983 | BOS | 3B | 153 | 153 | 118 | 368 | 27 | 40 |
| 1984 | BOS | 3B | 156 | 156 | 141 | 330 | 20 | 30 |
| 1985 | BOS | 3B | 161 | 160 | 134 | 335 | 17 | 30 |
| 1986 | BOS | 3B | 149 | 148 | 121 | 267 | 19 | 30 |
| 1987 | BOS | 1B | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987 | BOS | 3B | 145 | 145 | 111 | 277 | 14 | 37 |
| 1988 | BOS | 3B | 151 | 151 | 122 | 250 | 11 | 17 |
| 1989 | BOS | 3B | 152 | 152 | 123 | 264 | 17 | 29 |
| 1990 | BOS | 3B | 152 | 152 | 108 | 241 | 20 | 18 |
| 1991 | BOS | 3B | 140 | 140 | 89 | 276 | 12 | 34 |
| 1992 | BOS | 3B | 117 | 114 | 70 | 229 | 15 | 23 |
| 1993 | NYA | 3B | 134 | 129 | 75 | 311 | 12 | 29 |
| 1994 | NYA | 1B | 4 | 2 | 26 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| 1994 | NYA | 3B | 93 | 87 | 40 | 214 | 10 | 19 |
| 1995 | NYA | 1B | 9 | 6 | 45 | 5 | 0 | 4 |
| 1995 | NYA | 3B | 117 | 105 | 69 | 193 | 5 | 11 |
| 1996 | NYA | 3B | 123 | 120 | 62 | 201 | 7 | 24 |
| 1997 | NYA | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 | NYA | 3B | 76 | 70 | 42 | 140 | 4 | 15 |
| 1998 | TBA | 3B | 78 | 75 | 52 | 131 | 5 | 12 |
| 1999 | TBA | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | TBA | 1B | 4 | 3 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 1999 | TBA | 3B | 74 | 72 | 45 | 100 | 9 | 14 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 2 |
| First Base | 67 |
| Third Base | 2213 |
| Left Field | 1 |
| Designated Hitter | 107 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Player of the Week | Week of 1999-08-07 |
| 1997 | Player of the Week | Week of 1997-09-13 |
| 1995 | Gold Glove | 3B |
| 1994 | Gold Glove | 3B |
| 1994 | Silver Slugger | 3B |
| 1994 | TSN All-Star | 3B |
| 1993 | Silver Slugger | 3B |
| 1992 | Player of the Week | Week of 1992-05-23 |
| 1991 | Silver Slugger | 3B |
| 1991 | TSN All-Star | 3B |
| 1989 | Player of the Week | Week of 1989-05-05 |
| 1989 | Silver Slugger | 3B |
| 1988 | Player of the Week | Week of 1988-08-26 |
| 1988 | Silver Slugger | 3B |
| 1988 | TSN All-Star | 3B |
| 1987 | Player of the Month | June |
| 1987 | Player of the Week | Week of 1987-06-20 |
| 1987 | Silver Slugger | 3B |
| 1987 | TSN All-Star | 3B |
| 1986 | Player of the Month | May |
| 1986 | Player of the Week | Week of 1986-05-30 |
| 1986 | Silver Slugger | 3B |
| 1986 | TSN All-Star | 3B |
| 1985 | TSN All-Star | 3B |
| 1983 | Player of the Week | Week of 1983-07-15 |
| 1983 | Silver Slugger | 3B |
| 1983 | TSN All-Star | 3B |
Salary History
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | TBA | AL | $750,000 |
| 1998 | TBA | AL | $1,150,000 |
| 1997 | NYA | AL | $2,000,000 |
| 1996 | NYA | AL | $2,050,000 |
| 1995 | NYA | AL | $4,724,316 |
| 1994 | NYA | AL | $3,200,000 |
| 1993 | NYA | AL | $2,950,000 |
| 1992 | BOS | AL | $2,700,000 |
| 1991 | BOS | AL | $2,750,000 |
| 1990 | BOS | AL | $1,900,000 |
| 1989 | BOS | AL | $1,850,000 |
| 1988 | BOS | AL | $1,650,000 |
| 1987 | BOS | AL | $1,675,000 |
| 1986 | BOS | AL | $1,350,000 |
| 1985 | BOS | AL | $1,000,000 |
| Total Career Earnings | $31,699,316 | ||
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 17th | 5.0 | 392 | 0 |
| 1994 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 13th | 19.0 | 392 | 0 |
| 1990 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 22th | 5.0 | 392 | 0 |
| 1989 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 21th | 3.0 | 392 | 0 |
| 1988 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 6th | 107.0 | 392 | 0 |
| 1987 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 9th | 64.0 | 392 | 0 |
| 1986 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 7th | 87.0 | 392 | 0 |
| 1985 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 4th | 159.0 | 392 | 0 |
| 1983 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 12th | 25.0 | 392 | 0 |
| 1982 | Rookie of the Year | AL | 3rd | 10.0 | 140 | 0 |