BoSox Injection
Fansided

Boston Red Sox batting champions All-Star team montage

By Rick McNair

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - SEPTEMBER 05: The sun sets behind Fenway Park during the second inning of the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Minnesota Twins on September 05, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - SEPTEMBER 05: The sun sets behind Fenway Park during the second inning of the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Minnesota Twins on September 05, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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OAKLAND – UNDATED: Baseball Hall of Fame player Wade Boggs bats during a game between the Boston Red Sox and Oakland Athletics at the Oakland Coliseum. Boggs played for the Red Sox from 1982-1992. (Photo by Ron Vesely/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
OAKLAND – UNDATED: Baseball Hall of Fame player Wade Boggs bats during a game between the Boston Red Sox and Oakland Athletics at the Oakland Coliseum. Boggs played for the Red Sox from 1982-1992. (Photo by Ron Vesely/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /

Third Base

Wade Boggs was far from my favorite player when he was winning five batting titles for the Red Sox in the 1980s.  But give Boggs credit in that he worked at hitting and worked harder to make himself less of a defensive liability at third base. Boggs eventually won two Gold Glove Awards when he was with the New York Yankees.

In Boggs’ 1982 rookie season he hit .349 and made another third baseman and batting champion Carney Lansford expendable  Lansford had hit .336 in the strike-shortened 1981 season to capture the title but Boggs had to wait until 1983 when he hit .361 to win his first.

Boggs’ left-handed swing was just a doubles delight at Fenway Park where Boggs hit a career .369 and 292 of his career 578 two-baggers. For his Red Sox career, Boggs hit .338 with 85 home runs and 687 RBI. An eight-time All-Star in his 11 Boston years with over twice the number of walks (1004) as strikeouts (470). A career .328 hitter with 3010 hits and a plaque in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

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