Despite mechanics, Boggs reaches Hall

Wade Boggs isn't one of the best hitters I've seen in terms of mechanics ... but in terms of results, absolutely.

Originally Published: January 4, 2005
By Tony Gwynn | ESPN Insider
Wade Boggs is one of the last of a dying breed. It was fun for me to watch a tactician like Boggs go to work, and I'm glad to see him become a member of the Hall of Fame. Boggs was a hitter's hitter.

Normally, in a pitcher-hitter confrontation, the pitcher is in control. But when Boggs was at the plate, it was the opposite. Pitchers might say otherwise, but Boggs was dictating the action.

To me, that was a wonderful thing to see, because it happens with sluggers like Barry Bonds today, but it doesn't typically happen with contact hitters.

Every time Boggs stepped to the plate, he was disciplined and didn't swing at balls out of the strike zone. There aren't many hitters in today's game who are content to take what a pitcher gives them. But Boggs was -- he just wouldn't give in. He'd also fight off two-strike pitches all day long. He fouled off the pitcher's best pitches until he got something to handle, and then he hit it hard.


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Tony Gwynn

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