Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
© St. Petersburg Times, published November 12, 2001
ST. PETERSBURG -- Wade Boggs' resignation as Rays hitting coach in late October might begin a longer phase of his life than originally thought.
Having gone from a 12-time All-Star third baseman to front office executive to coach, he said Sunday he plans to dedicate at least the next four years and his baseball attention to his 14-year-old son, Brett.
"Right now, my future is helping my son's high school team," Boggs said after participating in the Chuck LaMar Celebrity Fishing Tournament. "I'm looking forward to that because he's a freshman at Wharton, and I'm looking forward to watching him play.
"The thing about it is, he is to a point in time when he needs some guidance, and I'm going to help him out."
Boggs, 43, said he does not plan to reassess his options in a year.
"(Brett) is a freshman, so that's going to take four years," he said. "I really don't know what I'd do after that."
Alan Nero, Boggs' agent, said after Boggs' resignation that he wouldn't be surprised if he were back in baseball in the next few years.
LaMar, the Rays general manager, called Boggs "an outstanding baseball man who will be an asset to any organization if and when he chooses to get back in the game."
The five-time American League batting champion ended an 18-year career in 1999 and became a special assistant to LaMar. He replaced Leon Roberts as hitting coach for last season, when the Rays finished last in the AL in home runs (121), runs (672) and RBIs (645) and 13th in average (.258).
"I thought he did a good job," Rays manager Hal McRae said. "He was a hard worker, and the players respected him a great deal."
Boggs finished with 3,010 hits, his 3,000th a home run Aug.7, 1999. He played in 2,440 regular-season games, mostly with the Red Sox and Yankees. He played in 213 with the Rays.
A grassroots effort was announced to make it known fans don't want the Twins to be contracted. Paul Ridgeway, chairman of the "Keep the Twins at Home" effort, said commissioner Bud Selig is severely underestimating the power and loyalty of Twins fans.
Ridgeway's group hopes to gather tens of thousands of signatures on petitions in support of the Twins when red, white and blue "Twins Fans Vans" leave the Metrodome on Tuesday for various parts of Minnesota. The effort will continue through Dec.1.
DIAMONDBACKS: Owner Jerry Colangelo said ticket prices will be raised but hasn't decided by how much. Also, John Teets, a general partner, said a deal on new investors is "very close." If there were new partners, it would dilute the value of stakes held by current investors but enable the 23 limited partners to lessen or avoid additional cash calls.
-- Information from Times archives and other news sources were used in this report.