Wade Boggs---1999
Wade Boggs will always be a Red
Sox to me.While I could never get
used to seeing Boggs in a Yankees
uniform; I definitely couldn't warm up
to the pictures of the chicken-eating
singles-hitter in a Tampa Devil Rays
uniform.
However, as the Rays take the field
tonight for their historic first World
Series appearance, we can look back
at the franchise's early days and
remember when Boggs graced
Tropicana Field.
Needing 190 hits to reach the
magical 3,000 mark, Boggs was
40-years-old and looking for a club to
play for during his chase. A Florida
native, Boggs returned to the
Sunshine State to finish his career,
while giving Devil Ray fans a glimpse
of a future Hall of Famer during their
first two seasons.
It took Boggs 203 games, before he
connected on a home run on August
7th against Cleveland's Chris Haney
to reach #3,000. In doing so, the lefty-
swinger became the first player to hit
a four-bagger for his 3,000th hit. The
hit was the first piece of genuine
baseball history for the franchise.
As part of the Brewers advance team
for the playoffs this season, I had the
pleasure of taking in the Rays first
two home playoff games against the
White Sox. With sellout crowds of
35,000+, the combination of loud
music, the energy of the crowd and
those darn cow bells--- well, the
place was rockin'.
It was so loud, that my ears had a
slight ringing sound for hours after
each game. Amazingly, I can think
back to my only other visit to
Tropicana Field last year, when a
mere 12,000 fans showed up giving
an empty feeling to Tropicana.
What a difference a year makes.
Good luck to the Rays as they
embark on their biggest days in
franchise history.
Sox to me.While I could never get
used to seeing Boggs in a Yankees
uniform; I definitely couldn't warm up
to the pictures of the chicken-eating
singles-hitter in a Tampa Devil Rays
uniform.
However, as the Rays take the field
tonight for their historic first World
Series appearance, we can look back
at the franchise's early days and
remember when Boggs graced
Tropicana Field.
Needing 190 hits to reach the
magical 3,000 mark, Boggs was
40-years-old and looking for a club to
play for during his chase. A Florida
native, Boggs returned to the
Sunshine State to finish his career,
while giving Devil Ray fans a glimpse
of a future Hall of Famer during their
first two seasons.
It took Boggs 203 games, before he
connected on a home run on August
7th against Cleveland's Chris Haney
to reach #3,000. In doing so, the lefty-
swinger became the first player to hit
a four-bagger for his 3,000th hit. The
hit was the first piece of genuine
baseball history for the franchise.
As part of the Brewers advance team
for the playoffs this season, I had the
pleasure of taking in the Rays first
two home playoff games against the
White Sox. With sellout crowds of
35,000+, the combination of loud
music, the energy of the crowd and
those darn cow bells--- well, the
place was rockin'.
It was so loud, that my ears had a
slight ringing sound for hours after
each game. Amazingly, I can think
back to my only other visit to
Tropicana Field last year, when a
mere 12,000 fans showed up giving
an empty feeling to Tropicana.
What a difference a year makes.
Good luck to the Rays as they
embark on their biggest days in
franchise history.
Gotta love scouting... first row, right
behind home plate and on the aisle.
behind home plate and on the aisle.