On September 25th, 1989, At Fenway Park Boston Red Sox third baseman Wade Boggs went 4 for 5 in a 7 – 4 win over the New York Yankees to become the first player in major league history to achieve both 200 hits and 100 walks in four consecutive seasons.

Wade Boggs has a lifetime batting average of .328. In his Hall of Fame career he won 5 Batting Titles:

• .361 in 1983
• .368 in 1985
• .357 in 1986
• .363 in 1987
• .366 in 1988

I saw Boggs play at Old Comiskey Park and at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metronome. Sadly, I never got to see him play in his home ballpark, Fenway. Boggs had a left-handed swing tailor-made for Fenway and the Green Monster. His lifetime Batting Average at Fenway is an astonishing .369. The great Ted Williams who also called Fenway home “only” has a .361 BA there.

Boggs was such a great hitter that he led the League in Intentional Walks 6 times. A doubles-machine, many clubs made the decision just to intentionally put him on first base rather than let him drive in runs with a two-bagger.

Boggs, like a lot of “geniuses,” is apparently a complicated guy (like Ted Williams). His nickname was “Chicken Man” because of his superstition that he needed to eat chicken before every game. He was famous for being able to drink prodigious amounts of beer. He was prickly and apparently (according to Oil Can Boyd) a real redneck.

Having said that, Boggs is on my list of Time Machine players. It would be nice to go back in time and watch him hit in Fenway.