Boggs, Sandberg Elected to Hall of Fame
COOPERSTOWN, New York - Five-time American League batting champion Wade Boggs and nine-time National League Gold Glove award winner Ryne Sandberg received baseball's highest honor on Tuesday, as both were elected into the Hall of Fame.
Boggs, who spent 11 seasons of his illustrious career as a third baseman with the Boston Red Sox, was elected in his first year of eligibility. Sandberg, who was a standout second baseman with the Chicago Cubs for 15 of his 16 seasons, was chosen in his third year of eligibility.
A record 516 ballots, including one blank, were submitted by the Baseball Writers' Association of America this year. Boggs was named on 474 ballots (91.86 percent), which is the 19th highest all-time percentage. His 474 votes are third-most, behind only Nolan Ryan (491) and George Brett (488), both in 1999. Boggs became the 41st player elected in his first year of eligibility.
Candidates had to be named on 75 percent of the ballots cast to gain entry into the Hall of Fame. Sandberg was on 61.1 percent of the 506 ballots submitted by the BBWAA last year, but this time around he was on 76.2 percent.
This year 387 votes were needed to gain election into the Hall of Fame, and Sandberg garnered 393 votes. Sandberg's six-vote margin was tied for the 12th slimmest to gain entry into the Hall of Fame. He was 71 votes shy last year.
Boggs and Sandberg will be the only two players chosen by the BBWAA to be inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 31 in Cooperstown.
Some players who didn't make the cut for the 2005 class included relief pitcher Bruce Sutter (66.7%), outfielder Jim Rice (59.5%), reliever Rich "Goose" Gossage (55.2%), outfielder Andre Dawson (52.3%) and pitchers Bert Blyleven (40.9%), Lee Smith (38.8%), Jack Morris (33.3%) and Tommy John (23.8%).
Boggs ended his 18-year career (1982-99) with a .328 average, 118 homers and 1,014 RBI. He had 3,010 hits, 23rd most on the all-time list and his batting average is 26th. A 12-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner at third base, Boggs also ranks 14th in doubles. He spent the first 11 years of his career in Boston and then five seasons with the Yankees, capturing a World Series crown in 1996 with New York, before ending with two years at Tampa Bay.
Now 46, Boggs is the only one whose 3,000th hit was a home run, in 1999 for the Devil Rays. He had an American League-record seven consecutive years of 200 or more hits and led the league in intentional walks six straight seasons, another AL record.
The 12th third baseman to gain entry into the Hall of Fame, Boggs currently ranks 19th in on-base percentage and intentional walks.
Boggs hit .349 or higher six times during the first seven years of his career (1982-88). The year he didn't reach that mark was 1984 when he batted .325.
Regarded as one of the most superstitious players in baseball history and maybe the greatest two-strike hitter of all-time, Boggs woke up at the same time each morning and would only eat chicken before each game, thus earning the nickname "Chicken Man" by Rice, his former Red Sox teammate.
The 45-year-old Sandberg, the 17th second baseman selected for the Hall of Fame, finished his career (1981-97) with a .285 average with 282 home runs and 1,061 RBI. He topped the National League with 40 homers in 1990 and his 277 total homers as a second baseman are behind only Jeff Kent all-time.
The NL Most Valuable Player in 1984 and a 10-time All-Star, Sandberg holds the career record for fielding percentage (.989) among second basemen and also has the distinction for consecutive errorless games in a season (90 in 1989) and over two seasons (123) at the position.
Sandberg was chosen by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 20th round of the 1978 amateur draft and broke into the majors in 1981 with the team before being traded, along with former shortstop Larry Bowa, to the Cubs in exchange for shortstop Ivan DeJesus. Sandberg's first season with the Cubs was spent mostly at third base, but then he went on to dominate second in record fashion.
Other players listed on the ballot who received votes were Steve Garvey (20.5%), Alan Trammell (16.9%), Dave Parker (12.6%), Don Mattingly 59 (11.4%), Dave Concepcion 55 (10.7%), Dale Murphy 54 (10.5%), Willie McGee 26 (5.0%), Jim Abbott 13 (2.5%), Darryl Strawberry 6 (1.2%), Jack McDowell 4 (0.8%), Chili Davis 3 (0.6%), Tom Candiotti 2 (0.4%), Jeff Montgomery 2 (0.4%), Tony Phillips 1 (0.2%) and Terry Steinbach 1 (0.2%). Mark Langston and Otis Nixon were both on the ballot for the first time, but didn't receive a vote.
For a first-time candidate to remain on the ballot, he must attain at least five percent of the votes. McGee, the NL MVP in 1985, was the only player to reach that level.
Sutter, who was on the ballot for a 12th year and was 43 votes short of being elected, won the 1979 NL Cy Young Award and ended his career with 300 saves.
A total of 260 members are now in the Hall of Fame, including 195 players.
January 04, 2005
Boggs, Sandberg Elected to Hall of Fame
NEW YORK - Wade Boggs was overwhelmingly elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility Tuesday, and Ryne Sandberg made it with just six votes to spare on his third try.
Boggs, a five-time American League batting champion for the Boston Red Sox, was selected by 474 of the record 516 voters who are 10-year members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
The 91.86 percent of ballots he received was the 19th-highest percentage in Hall history, and he became the 41st player elected on his first chance.
In total votes, Boggs trailed only Nolan Ryan (491) and George Brett (488).
"It's mind-boggling to be put in the same category," said Boggs, who credited his success to his 79-year-old father, Winfield.
"He coached me in Little League and sort of nurtured me along — was there every phone call in the minor leagues," Boggs said.
Sandberg, the 1984 National League MVP for the Chicago Cubs, was picked by 393 voters. He appeared on 76.2 percent of ballots, just above the 75 percent cutoff (387). Sandberg received 49.2 percent of votes in 2003 and got 61.1 percent last year, falling 71 votes short.
"There's been some tremendous, tremendous players who waited longer than I had to wait to get into the Hall of Fame," Sandberg said.
Reliever Bruce Sutter, appearing on the ballot for the 12th time, received 344 votes (66.7 percent), up from 301 last year but 43 shy of what was needed this time. He was followed by Jim Rice (307), Rich Gossage (285) and Andre Dawson (270).
"I'm not going to say I'm disappointed," Dawson said.
Willie McGee, also on the ballot for the first time, received 26 votes, exactly at the 5 percent cutoff to avoid being dropped in future years. Darryl Strawberry got six votes in his first bid.
Pete Rose, ineligible for the ballot because of his lifetime ban from baseball, received nine write-in votes, six fewer than last year and his lowest total. Rose, who admitted last year that he bet on the Cincinnati Reds while managing them in the late 1980s, has been written in on 239 of 6,687 ballots (3.6 percent) over 14 years.
He must be reinstated by late November to appear on the ballot in 2006, the final year he would be eligible.
Boggs, known for his array of pre- and postgame rituals, was a 12-time All-Star during an 18-year career, finishing with 3,010 hits.
He won batting titles in 1983 and from 1985-88, becoming the first player to win the AL batting championship in four straight years since Rod Carew from 1972-75. Boggs, who hit .300 or higher 15 times, finished with a .328 career average and was the only player in the 20th century with seven straight 200-hit seasons. He also became the first player to get 200 hits and 100 walks in four consecutive seasons.
A two-time Gold Glove winner at third base, Boggs played for the Red Sox from 1982-92, then spent five seasons with the New York Yankees, helping the team win the 1996 World Series and riding a police horse around Yankee Stadium after the final victory.
His final two seasons were with his hometown Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
On Aug. 7, 1999, Boggs became the 23rd member of the 3,000-hit club, connecting off Cleveland's Chris Haney to become the first player to get No. 3,000 with a home run. After circling the bases, Boggs kissed home plate.
Sandberg was a nine-time Gold Glove second baseman and a 10-time All-Star. He hit 277 homers, the most by a second baseman at the time of his retirement, and led the NL with 40 in 1990. His .989 fielding percentage is the highest at the position.
"I think defense had everything to do with me getting into the Hall of Fame," Sandberg said.
Boggs and Sandberg will increase the Hall of Fame's membership to 260, of which 102 were selected by the BBWAA. Induction ceremonies are July 31 in Cooperstown.
Results of voting by the Veterans Committee will be released March 2. Gil Hodges, Tony Oliva and Ron Santo were among the 25 candidates on that ballot.
Among the players eligible for the first time on next year's BWAA ballot are Orel Hershiser, Will Clark and Dwight Gooden.
NEW YORK - Wade Boggs was overwhelmingly elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility Tuesday, and Ryne Sandberg made it with just six votes to spare on his third try.
Boggs, a five-time American League batting champion for the Boston Red Sox, was selected by 474 of the record 516 voters who are 10-year members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
The 91.86 percent of ballots he received was the 19th-highest percentage in Hall history, and he became the 41st player elected on his first chance.
In total votes, Boggs trailed only Nolan Ryan (491) and George Brett (488).
"It's mind-boggling to be put in the same category," said Boggs, who credited his success to his 79-year-old father, Winfield.
"He coached me in Little League and sort of nurtured me along — was there every phone call in the minor leagues," Boggs said.
Sandberg, the 1984 National League MVP for the Chicago Cubs, was picked by 393 voters. He appeared on 76.2 percent of ballots, just above the 75 percent cutoff (387). Sandberg received 49.2 percent of votes in 2003 and got 61.1 percent last year, falling 71 votes short.
"There's been some tremendous, tremendous players who waited longer than I had to wait to get into the Hall of Fame," Sandberg said.
Reliever Bruce Sutter, appearing on the ballot for the 12th time, received 344 votes (66.7 percent), up from 301 last year but 43 shy of what was needed this time. He was followed by Jim Rice (307), Rich Gossage (285) and Andre Dawson (270).
"I'm not going to say I'm disappointed," Dawson said.
Willie McGee, also on the ballot for the first time, received 26 votes, exactly at the 5 percent cutoff to avoid being dropped in future years. Darryl Strawberry got six votes in his first bid.
Pete Rose, ineligible for the ballot because of his lifetime ban from baseball, received nine write-in votes, six fewer than last year and his lowest total. Rose, who admitted last year that he bet on the Cincinnati Reds while managing them in the late 1980s, has been written in on 239 of 6,687 ballots (3.6 percent) over 14 years.
He must be reinstated by late November to appear on the ballot in 2006, the final year he would be eligible.
Boggs, known for his array of pre- and postgame rituals, was a 12-time All-Star during an 18-year career, finishing with 3,010 hits.
He won batting titles in 1983 and from 1985-88, becoming the first player to win the AL batting championship in four straight years since Rod Carew from 1972-75. Boggs, who hit .300 or higher 15 times, finished with a .328 career average and was the only player in the 20th century with seven straight 200-hit seasons. He also became the first player to get 200 hits and 100 walks in four consecutive seasons.
A two-time Gold Glove winner at third base, Boggs played for the Red Sox from 1982-92, then spent five seasons with the New York Yankees, helping the team win the 1996 World Series and riding a police horse around Yankee Stadium after the final victory.
His final two seasons were with his hometown Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
On Aug. 7, 1999, Boggs became the 23rd member of the 3,000-hit club, connecting off Cleveland's Chris Haney to become the first player to get No. 3,000 with a home run. After circling the bases, Boggs kissed home plate.
Sandberg was a nine-time Gold Glove second baseman and a 10-time All-Star. He hit 277 homers, the most by a second baseman at the time of his retirement, and led the NL with 40 in 1990. His .989 fielding percentage is the highest at the position.
"I think defense had everything to do with me getting into the Hall of Fame," Sandberg said.
Boggs and Sandberg will increase the Hall of Fame's membership to 260, of which 102 were selected by the BBWAA. Induction ceremonies are July 31 in Cooperstown.
Results of voting by the Veterans Committee will be released March 2. Gil Hodges, Tony Oliva and Ron Santo were among the 25 candidates on that ballot.
Among the players eligible for the first time on next year's BWAA ballot are Orel Hershiser, Will Clark and Dwight Gooden.
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