Wade Boggs #26

[chicagowhitesox1173]

I was reading earlier today about Boggs being upset about his number not retired, I think most people feel it should be but can see why Boston has a grudge against him. But isn't it somewhat disrespectful to hand out his old uniform, Scott Podsednek is wearing it now and I would think Podsednik wouldn't accept that number but maybe the Redsox make him take it.

I think Clemens left on worse terms than Boggs yet nobody has worn Clemens old number after he left.

The Redsox have a requirement in order to have a players number retired one is that the player must play 10 years with the Redsox and the other is they have to retire as a Redsox. So thats a reason the Redsox have for why Bogg's is ineligable. Yet they retired Carlton Fisks number which i'll admit he is more deserving but not by much over Boggs.

The fact they still let other players use his number and dont give out Clemens number is a bit baffling.

[Ben Grimm]

I think the Sox would have had Boggs not gone directly to the Yankees and help them win their first WS in almost 20 years.

I remember landing in Boston the day after Johnny Damon signed with NY. It was done later the night before and many people didn't hear about it until they woke up. The fans on the radio I was listening to in the cab were going ballistic. It was instant hatred for a player who was on the '04 WS team. He went straight to the enemy. Damon wasn't half the hitter Boggs was, and the Fenway fans were still fairly fresh off of the WS euphoria, yet he was totally villified. I can only imagine what that town was like when Boggs did it a decade earlier.

[chicagowhitesox1173]

I think the Sox would have had Boggs not gone directly to the Yankees and help them win their first WS in almost 20 years.

I remember landing in Boston the day after Johnny Damon signed with NY. It was done later the night before and many people didn't hear about it until they woke up. The fans on the radio I was listening to in the cab were going ballistic. It was instant hatred for a player who was on the '04 WS team. He went straight to the enemy. Damon wasn't half the hitter Boggs was, and the Fenway fans were still fairly fresh off of the WS euphoria, yet he was totally villified. I can only imagine what that town was like when Boggs did it a decade earlier.

Yeah but didn't Boggs wanna stay with Boston and the Redsox let him walk. He did make a bad decsion signing with the Yankees and his TampaBay hof deal was kinda ridiculous but you can almost fault Boston for not trying to re-sign him.

I dont really know the facts but sounds like both parties made mistakes. I think it's time to bury the hatchet. Like they did with Fisk.

[chicagowhitesox1173]

I'm not saying he made a bad decision joining the Yankees because he did win a WS with em but even back then he knew there would be consequences.

[Rich the Giants fan]

I'm sure signing with the Yankees is part of the reason, but I would think in time both sides will come together. He sure had some amazing seasons in Boston.

[chicagowhitesox1173]

I'm sure signing with the Yankees is part of the reason, but I would think in time both sides will come together. He sure had some amazing seasons in Boston.

You would think but they gave his old jersey to Scott Podsednik which makes it seem like they want nothing to do with Boggs.

[Rich the Giants fan]

You would think but they gave his old jersey to Scott Podsednik which makes it seem like they want nothing to do with Boggs.

True, not very respectful.

[Mike D.]

Agree that it's odd that his number wasn't taken out of rotation like Clemens' was. I'd think at this point, it's far more likely the team retired Boggs number than Clemens. Maybe the clubhouse guy (they're usually the ones who hold back numbers, it's usually not a dictate from the FO) didn't like Boggs?

In Red Sox Nation, from what I can tell, Clemens is far more hated than Boggs...and I think most fans would like to see Boggs number retired.

[ian2813]

I once read that the Red Sox offered #21 to Greg Swindell in 1998, but he turned it down out of respect. I don't know if it's been offered to anyone else since then.

[Biggtone23]

I remember hearing that until pretty recently the Red Sox had strict rules about retiring numbers. If I remember right you had to be a Red Sox for your whole career and be elected to the Hall of Fame. Then they changed the rules to retire 27 for Carlton Fisk. I don't know if anyone else wore the number between when Fisk left and when they retired it. I assume at some point Boggs will get his number retired but they may make him wait awhile because he did go to the Yankees and even then I agree with the people saying Boggs will get it before Clemens. I wonder what Boggs would rather have his Red Sox number retired or his World Series ring from the Yankees? Where do you rank a retired number in career accomplishments...its gotta be behind making the Hall of Fame but then I guess its opinon between which of the World Series Ring of retired number you would rather have.

[dgarza]

I remember hearing that until pretty recently the Red Sox had strict rules about retiring numbers. If I remember right you had to be a Red Sox for your whole career and be elected to the Hall of Fame. Then they changed the rules to retire 27 for Carlton Fisk. I don't know if anyone else wore the number between when Fisk left and when they retired it.

Number are retired retroactively all the time. Take a look at the history of some of these numbers and notice that other players wore them after the player who eventually had their number retired.

http://www.redsoxdiehard.com/players/unifnums.html

Also, Johnny Pesky had his number retired in 2008, and was not a lifelong Red Sox, did not retire as player as one (although he may have retired within the organization in some other role), and didn't even play 10 seasons with them.

And #42, of course.