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August 7, 1999
Wade Boggs' 3,000th Hit
The HOF'er Homers for Hit #3,000 |
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TROPICANA FIELD, ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA -- It was sure to be a big night for hometown hero Wade Boggs and all his friends and family were there to share it with him.
More than 30,000 fans at Tropicana Field screamed with delight on Aug. 7, 1999 when Boggs got hits No. 2,998 and 2,999 earlier in the game against the Indians.
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Indians |
3 |
0 |
3 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
15 |
19 |
0 |
| Devil Rays |
0 |
0 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
10 |
14 |
2 |
Starters: Charles Nagy vs. Bobby Witt
WP: Charles Nagy LP: Bobby Witt
HR: Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome, Wade Boggs
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Then Boggs strode past his son, Brett, the team's bat boy that night, to get to the plate to face pitcher Chris Haney. Boggs smacked the bottom of each of his spikes with his bat and settled in against the left-hander.
Before anyone could think twice about what might happen, Boggs drilled a pitch to deep right field a couple of rows over the fence.
Wade Boggs, famous for hitting singles to the opposite field and doubles off the Green Monster in left in Fenway Park, had hit a home run for his 3,000th Major League hit. In fact, he was the first player ever to hit a home run for that milestone.
Boggs celebrated by racing around the bases as if he were 26 again, pumping his fist in the air and pointing toward the heavens. He raced down the third base line but did not jump onto the plate and into the arms of his teammates. First, he knelt down in front of the plate and gave it a great, big kiss.
"I still don't know why I did that, it was spontaneous,'' Boggs said last December. "I guess I had just crossed the plate so many times before, I just wanted to stop and thank God for the opportunity to play baseball."
Looking back on that game after being chosen for the Baseball Hall of Fame on Jan. 4, Boggs said that's when he knew he might have accomplished something special.
"I first started thinking about the Hall of Fame on Aug. 7, 1999," Boggs said. "That's the first time I felt like I had good enough numbers to qualify for the Hall of Fame."
Boggs retired after that season and now spends most of his time helping coach Brett's high school baseball team.
"Pursuing my 3,000th hit was a big reason for coming home to play," Boggs said.
Copyright 1999 by the Office of the Commissioner of Major League Baseball
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