Wade Boggs to be inducted into Rays Hall of Fame Sunday

ST. PETERSBURG — Wade Boggs had already achieved quite a lot in the major leagues when he made the decision to finish his career in his adopted hometown by signing with the expansion Devil Rays in 1998.

Over 11 seasons with the Red Sox, he won five American League batting titles, posted seven consecutive 200-hit seasons and made eight All-Star teams.

Then he moved to the Yankees, earned two Gold Gloves at third base and won a World Series, famously riding a horse in celebration.

But Boggs was wearing a Devil Rays uniform when he reached his greatest individual accomplishment, rapping his 3,000th career hit — and a home run at that — on Aug. 7, 1999 at Tropicana Field, which led to his overwhelming election to the Hall of Fame in 2005.

“I finally put my flag in the mountain,’' Boggs said after joining the 3,000-hit club. “I finally have meaning in my career. I’m doing something that sort of means something. Not to take away the 200-hit seasons and the 100 walks I had consecutively and all of that. This is finally something that they can write on the final resting place.

“I think it gives it substance. It’s, like, ‘Oh, yeah, he made some All-Star teams. Oh, yeah, he’s got some batting titles. And, oh, yeah, he’s got a couple Gold Gloves, but wow, this guy’s got 3,000 damn hits.’”

Boggs will be honored by the Rays in a pregame ceremony Sunday, when he will become the second inductee — and first player – added to their newly formed team Hall of Fame. Don Zimmer, who served as a senior adviser, was inducted in April. Outfielder Carl Crawford will be added on Aug. 26.

The Rays retired Boggs’ No. 12 in 2000, following his retirement after the historic 1999 season. He has another piece of Rays history in hitting their first home run, in the March 31, 1998 inaugural game. And he was the first MLB player to homer for his 3,000th hit.

Signing Boggs, who moved to Tampa with his family as a kid and attended Plant High, gave the expansion Devil Rays a player with local ties and an impressive resume.

“Wade Boggs was one of the best pure hitters of his generation,” Scott Proefrock, the assistant general manager at the time, said Friday. “And having him a part of the inaugural team gave us an instantly recognizable star and a great story line to follow as he pursued his 3,000th hit in front of his hometown fans.”

Tampa native Fred McGriff, also a part of the 1998 team after a trade from Atlanta, is expected to join the Rays’ Hall as soon as next year, following his induction in Cooperstown later this month.

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“When you’re talking about Tampa athletes, Tampa baseball players, Wade Boggs being a Hall of Famer, he’s got to be right at the top of the list. Obviously, Fred McGriff joining that, he’s another special one,” said Rays manager Kevin Cash, a Tampa native.

“But Wade Boggs, it was kind of unique that he very much coincided with Boston for many, many years. And then he kind of shifted over and did a lot of good things with the Yankees. Then he finished up with the Rays, and we’ve got his number retired up there.”

Boggs also had his No. 26 retired by the Red Sox and is in their team Hall of Fame.

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