Red Sox To Retire Wade Boggs' No. 26
BOSTON (CBS) -- Another number will soon adorn the right field facade at Fenway Park.
The Red Sox will retire Wade Boggs' No. 26 in a ceremony on May 26, 2016, the team announced on Monday.
Boggs spent 11 years of his career in Boston from 1982-92, winning five batting titles and making the All-Star team eight times. During his Red Sox career, Boggs led all major leaguers in batting average (.338), hits (2,098), doubles (422) and on-base percentage (.428) and recorded at least 200 hits in a franchise-record seven different seasons. He helped lead Boston to three playoff berths in his career, and his .338 batting average with the Red Sox is second only to Ted Williams.
"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 release. "To say that your number will never be worn again is the highest honor an athlete can receive. Thank you."
"Wade Boggs was the best third baseman in Red Sox history and one of the best hitters of his generation," said Red Sox Principal Owner John Henry. "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 was enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005, and sports a Red Sox hat on his plaque. He hit .328 over 18 MLB seasons with Boston, the New York Yankees (1993-97) and Tampa Bay Devil Rays (1998-99), and became just the 23rd member of the 3,000-hit club in his final season in 1999.
Boggs' number will be the 10th to be retired by the Red Sox, 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 (retired throughout Major League Baseball).
