Notebook: Boggs No. 26 retired at Fenway
The `chicken man’ has lost a little of the shimmer from his trademark mustache over the years, but every pilgrimage Wade Boggs makes to Fenway Park still feels like old times for the Red Sox legend.
“I’ve come back home,” Boggs said.
On Thursday night Boggs added to his cache of memories when the Red Sox retired his No. 26.
“Today is the final piece of my baseball puzzle,” he said during the pregame ceremony.
Boggs became the 10th former player to have his number affixed to Fenway’s right field facade. He joined Bobby Doerr, Joe Cronin, Johnny Pesky, Carl Yastrzemski, Ted Williams, Jim Rice, Carlton Fisk, Pedro Martinez and Jackie Robinson, whose No. 42 is retired throughout baseball.
It was the culmination of a weeklong celebration of the Red Sox’s 1986 American League championship team, which came within a strike of winning the World Series title before falling to the New York Mets. It is infamously remembered for Bill Buckner allowing a routine ground ball to go through his legs, giving the Mets the win in Game 6.
Members of that team were on hand along with a few special guests, including Yastrzemski and Ryne Sandberg, who was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame along with Boggs in 2005.
“I never in my wildest dreams ever thought that any day could top July 31, 2005. Today just did,” Boggs said.
Hall of Fame tour stops announced
Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred traveled to the “Field of Dreams” movie site in eastern Iowa to announce this year’s National Baseball Hall of Fame tour stops in six cities.
Manfred was joined by 2015 Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz in Dyersville to announce that Davenport, Iowa; Kansas City, Missouri; Milwaukee; St. Louis; Minneapolis; and Las Vegas will be host cities for this year’s “We Are Baseball” tour stops.
MLB: Padres did not act with “malicious intentions”
Major League Baseball says the San Diego Padres did not act with “malicious intentions” in mishandling the national anthem that was supposed to be sung by the San Diego Gay Men’s Chorus.
The Padres had invited the chorus to sing at “Pride Night” on Saturday. Instead, a recorded voice of a woman singing the anthem played while the chorus was on the field. The Padres have apologized for the mistake.
Rounding the bases
Kansas City placed third baseman Mike Moustakas on the 15-day disabled list with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. … St. Louis placed third baseman Matt Carpenter on the paternity list and recalled infielder Greg Garcia from Triple-A Memphis. … Pitcher Julio Urias will make his highly anticipated MLB debut for the Dodgers on Friday night against the Mets. … Minnesota has suspended pitching coach Neil Allen indefinitely with pay, following his arrest on suspicion of drunken driving. … Atlanta’s Hector Olivera was suspended through Aug. 1 for his arrest on domestic violence charges. … Alex Rodriguez is back for the Yankees while Mark Teixeira is out due to neck stiffness.