Pinstriped Bible was fortunate to get an interview with former Yankees third baseman and current Hall of Famer Wade Boggs, and I was lucky enough to get to conduct said interview. Growing up in the 80's, the thought of Wade Boggs as a New York Yankee was almost unheard of. He was a staple in the Boston Red Sox lineup since arriving on the scene in 1982 and many assumed that he would play for them his entire career, much in the way Don Mattingly played for the Yankees his entire career. Boggs was let go by the Red Sox at the end of the 1992 season and the Yankees signed him to play third base for them in 1993, the year many consider to be the turning point for what would become the Yankees dynasty in the last 90's.
To say Wade Boggs was a great hitter is an understatement. A patient and premiere contact hitter, Boggs was a 12 time All Star winning five AL batting titles and eight Silver Slugger awards, the final two with the Yankees in 1993 and 1994. Boggs is also a member of the 3,000 hit club and is only one of two players to get their 3,000th hit via the home run. I'm pretty sure you know who the other player to do that was. With an exclamation point, I might add. Boggs' defense was not too shabby, to say the least. He won two Gold Glove awards with the Yankees in 1994 and 1995.
I am not ashamed to say that even when he played with our hated rivals, watching Wade Boggs play the game of baseball was an absolute pleasure. Watching him ride the NYPD horse after the Yankees won the World Series in 1996 is one of my all time favorite memories as a Yankee fan. I am very fortunate to have been able to talk with him briefly. I was also able to record our conversation thanks to SCIENCE! I apologize in advance for my voice & interviewing skills, such as they are. I also apologize to my fellow Pinstriped Bible scribes for not being able to ask all the questions you submitted, as our time was limited. Just apologies all around. I hope you enjoy though.
This interview is courtesy of the Pepsi MAX Field of Dreams program.