Red Sox legend Wade Boggs announces he is battling prostate cancer

BOSTON – Red Sox legend and Hall of Fame third baseman Wade Boggs announced over the weekend that he has prostate cancer. The 66-year-old made the announcement on social media on Saturday, posting a positive message in light of his diagnosis.

“I've never been a goal-oriented person, but with the strength and support of my family and my faith in God, I'm going to ring that damn bell,” Boggs posted on his X account on Saturday.

Boggs played 11 of his 18 MLB seasons with the Red Sox and was consistently one of baseball's best hitters during his time in Boston. A seventh-round pick of the Red Sox in 1976, he debuted in 1982 and posted a .349 batting average in 104 games, finishing third in Rookie of the Year voting. This was just a preview of what was to come for Boggs.

Boggs won his first of five batting titles with the Red Sox in 1984, when he batted .361. His highest season average came in 1985, when he batted .368 and had 240 hits, a personal best. Boggs hit .338 in his Boston career, which is second only to Ted Williams' career average of .344 in Red Sox franchise history. He had seven consecutive seasons of at least 200 hits from 1983 to 1989.

Boggs was beloved by fans for his ability with his bat, his solid play at third base, and his superstitiousness in the field. He was nicknamed “Chicken Man” because he ate chicken before every game.

A 12-time MLB All-Star, Boggs also played for the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays. He signed with the Yankees in 1993 and won a pair of Gold Gloves in the pinstripe jersey, as well as a World Series with New York in 1996.

Boggs finished his playing career with 3,010 hits and a .328 average. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005 and wore a Red Sox cap on his plaque. The Red Sox retired Boggs' No. 26 jersey in 2016.