Wade Boggs

Class of: 2003

Sport: MLB

Team: Boston Red Sox
Tampa Bay Devil Rays

School: Plant High School

Wade Anthony Boggs (born June 15, 1958) is a former Major League third-baseman, primarily with the Boston Red Sox. His hitting in the 1980’s and 1990’s made him a perennial contender for American League batting titles.

Boggs was elected to the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005. With 12-straight All-Star appearances, Boggs is third only to Brooks Robinson and George Brett in number of consecutive appearances as a third baseman.

His finest season was 1987, when he set career highs in home runs (24), RBI (89), and slugging percentage (.588). He also batted .363 and had a .461 on-base percentage that year, leading the league in both statistics. In 1999, he ranked number 95 on the Sporting News’ list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was a nominee for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.

Boggs, a 1976 graduate of Plant High School in Tampa, FL, returned to Florida after his retirement from the game.