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When negotiating with players big league teams will often tender a separate offer of a money devoted for a college scholarship. The money becomes available to the player when his playing career ends.

In this letter to the administrator of MLB’s college scholarship plan, it is noted that Wade Boggs would have money earmarked for his college education should he want to pursue it upon retirement.

College was the last thing on the mind of the Red Sox 7th round draft pick. Just a teenager when he was selected in the draft, Boggs would go on to win five batting crowns, including four in a row from 1985-1988.

The Hall of Famer never saw a need to advantage of the earmarked scholarship money.

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Wade Boggs made his big league debut on April 10, 1982 with the Red Sox. Playing 104 games – 49 games at first base and 44 at third – Boggs hit .349 with a .406 on-base percentage. The performance earned him a third-place finish in Rookie of the Year balloting.

Shortstop Cal Rikpen Jr. won the award by slugging 28 home runs with 93 RBI in 160 games. Twins first baseman Kent Hrbek finished second for the honor with 23 homers and 92 RBI of his own.

Shown here is a pair of 1983 Topps rookie cards autographed by Wade Boggs.

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Wade Boggs earned five batting crowns in six seasons from 1983-1988. His run broke Bill Madlock’s record for most batting titles by a third baseman.

Madlock led the NL in batting average twice with the Cubs in the 1970s and twice with the Pirates in the early 80s. A .305 career hitter, Madlock retired with a .385 on-base percentage, 2,008 hits, 38.2 WAR and a 123 OPS+.

Boggs captured four straight batting championship and five overall. His lifetime statistics include a .328 average, .415 on-base mark, 3,010 hits, 91.4 WAR and a 131 OPS+.

Shown here is Madlock’s lifetime pass to all big league games. Click here for a pictorial history of lifetime passes.

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On July 11, 1989, during the 66th MLB All-Star Game at Anaheim Stadium, Bo Jackson and Wade Boggs made history. They became the first pair of players in All-Star history to lead off the first inning with back-to-back home runs.

Rick Reuschel, the National League pitcher, took the mound and quickly became the victim of the blasts. Jackson smashed a towering home run, setting the tone for the game.

In the announcer’s booth was Vin Scully, joined by guest and former president Ronald Reagan. After Jackson’s ball landed in the stands, Boggs worked the count to 3-and-2. On the next pitch, the Hall of Fame third baseman hammered Reuschel’s full-count offering. As the ball took flight, Reagan chimed in, “Hey, that looks like it’s going there too!”

Scully described the scene, “A rather electrifying moment here in Anaheim. With the National League leading two-to-nothing, consecutive home runs by Bo Jackson and Wade Boggs.”

These two early homers immediately erased the National League’s 2-run lead and tied the game. Jackson’s raw power and Boggs’ hitting precision sparked the offense and helped the American League maintain control.

The game ended with a 5-3 victory for the American League, with Jackson and Boggs’ heroics playing a key role in the win. Jackson, a dual-sport star, and Boggs, a hitting legend, left their mark on the 66th All-Star Game, making it one of the most exciting starts in MLB history.

The image above shows a short note from Bo thanking a fan for supporting his baseball career with the Royals. Notice the Montgomery, Alabama postmark on the accompanying envelope dated February 23, 1987.

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Wade Anthony Boggs was one of the best pure hitters of his generation. Over the course of his 18-year career, he won five batting crowns and hit .328 with a .415 on-base percentage.

Many thought Boggs might someday hit .400 in a season. Though the closest he got was a .368 average in 1985, he did hit .401 over a 162-game span from June 9, 1985 until June 6 the following year.

Boggs played in a dozen straight All Star games. Among third basemen, only Baltimore’s Brooks Robinson and the Royals’ George Brett have appeared in more consecutive Mid Summer Classics.

In the collection is a contract signed by Wade Boggs agreeing to have his signature appear on souvenir baseballs with stamped autographs.

The terms of the contract?

Boggs received one cent per ball sold. Interestingly Boggs signed the contract on March 7, 1982 but would not debut in the big leagues until April 10 later that year.

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Wade Boggs faced 962 different big league pitchers. Not a single one of them yielded more doubles, homers, or RBI to him than Dave Stewart. The Boston third baseman went 26-for-71 (.366) off of Stew with a .483 on-base percentage and a .676 slugging mark.

Stewart was no slouch. As one of his era’s most formidable hurlers, Stewart won 20 or more games in four consecutive seasons starting in 1987. In each of those campaigns he finished in the top-four in Cy Young balloting.

In the postseason, the man they called Smoke was stellar. Stewart twirled 133 October innings to the tune of a 2.35 earned run average. He earned the MVP in the 1989 World Series and in the ALCS in 1990 and 1992.

And yet, Wade Boggs owned him there too.

The first time the two faced each other in October came in the 1988 ALCS. In two games Stewart had a stingy 1.35 ERA. Boggs hit him hard.

In his first postseason at bat against Stewart, Boggs hit the ball over the centerfielder’s head for a long single. By the time the Series was over Boggs had three hits in six at bats off of the Oakland right-hander.

Their next playoff pairing was two years later in the 1990 ALCS. Stewart won the opener and the clincher, going 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA. Writers recognized him as the Most Valuable Player of the ALCS.

In Game 1, Stewart allowed one run in an 8-inning effort. Only Boggs’ 4th-inning solo shot – his first in the postseason – blemished the performance. Shown here is the lineup card for that game filled out and signed by Boston skipper Joe Morgan.

In Game 4 Boggs went 2-for-3 off of Stewart. That brought his overall postseason batting average against the ace to an even .500 (6-for-12). The two never faced each other in October again.

As good as Stewart was, Boggs owned him no matter what month they squared off.

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Wade Boggs spent his first 11 big league seasons in Boston. From 1982-1992 he earned five batting crowns while hitting .338 with a .428 on-base percentage.

In his final campaign with the Red Sox, Boggs climbed the the franchise leaderboard. On July 18, 1992 he caught Hall of Famer Bobby Doerr at 5th-place on the hit list. Doerr played in Beantown from 1937-1951 and retired with the most hits in franchise history.

Today Carl Yastrzemski (3,419) is tops, more than 750 hits ahead of #2 man Ted Williams, who first broke Doerr’s record. Coming in third is Jim Rice (2,452), followed by Dwight Evans (2,373). Boggs left Boston with 2,098, now 5th-most in team history. David Ortiz with 2,079 stands between Boggs and Doerr (2,042).

A .338 hitter with the Red Sox, Boggs remains second in batting average for Boston, trailing only the Splendid Splinter. When it comes to on-base percentage, Boggs is passed only by Williams and Jimmie Foxx among Sox batters.

Shown here is the lineup card penned by Red Sox manager Joe Morgan. Boggs is listed as the third hitter in the Bosox order for the July 18, 1992 contest.

In the top of the first inning Billy Hatcher laced a double down the first base line. After Phil Plantier grounded out to the right side to advance Hatcher to third, Boggs came up to bat.

On Scott Erickson’s 0-1 pitch Boggs dumped a short fly ball into left field to score what proved to be the game’s only run. The single was Boggs’ 2,042nd career hit as a Red Sox player to tie with Doerr on the all-time list.

Boston pitcher Roger Clemens went the distance to record his 33rd career shutout. He twirled five more scoreless complete games before leaving the Red Sox in 1996. Clemens’ 38 career shutouts for Boston puts ties him with Cy Young for the most in Red Sox franchise history.

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Wade Boggs is a no-doubt first-ballot Hall of Fame selection. His 3,010 career hits, five batting crowns, .328 lifetime average and .415 on-base percentage earned him 91.9% of the writers vote.

The Hall of Fame opened its doors to Boggs in a July 31, 2005 ceremony. Inducted along with him was ten-time all star second baseman Ryne Sandberg.

In the collection is a Sandberg-signed Topps contract dated March 20, 1989. The deal calls for Ryno to appear on Topps cards through the 1992 season.