For Labor Day, here is one of the hardest working third basemen of our lifetime… not to mention the most superstitious. Courtesy of Pastor Rich, it’s Wade Boggs of 1986.
In 1986, Boggs hit .357 and led the AL in hitting. It was one of five times he won the batting crown (of the 18 years he played, he only hit below .300 three times). Unlike many high average/no power hitters, Boggs had a knack for inducing the walk. In 1986, he led the AL with a .453 OBP and 105 walks.
In his career, Boggs also had a propensity to hit into double plays. In 1986 though, he only hit into 11.
| Split | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 Totals | 149 | 693 | 580 | 107 | 207 | 47 | 2 | 8 | 71 | 0 | 105 | 44 | .357 | .453 | .486 |
Wade Boggs’ 1986 card is perfect for the #2 or #3 spot in your lineup depending on how powerful your team is. For the Red Sox in 1986, he mostly hit in the number 2 spot though he did lead off occasionally. His hit numbers are fantastic 0-0-0-7-7-7-7-8-8-8-9-9 but as Rich noted to me it’s his six 14s that make his card so much better.
Boggs also deservedly gets three 31s on this card as well. Not only that, he doesn’t have a 33 OR a 34 making the hit and run a very viable alternative.
The icing on the cake is that he gets a nice 3B-5 fielding rating.
Fun numbers: 56-14, 26-14, 15-7
Fun trivia: Wade Boggs’ Twitter handle is @Chickenman3010. He’s still actively posting if you want to follow him.
Thanks Rich!
