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Overall, a special day for BoggsBy WADE BOGGS © St. Petersburg Times, published April 1, 1998 I waited a long time to come back home, and I was really looking forward to this day and having my name announced to the fans. All the people that used to watch me at Plant High and Little League and sort of grew up with me had an opportunity to see me play professional baseball. That's special. It's easy to get excited about a game like this one. The main thing is trying to stay focused and not lose your concentration or lose sight of what's at hand. I couldn't believe all the flashbulbs that went off after the first pitch. I'm glad Detroit's Brian Hunter didn't swing -- I would never have seen the ball. That was pretty crazy. My home run was on a fastball, middle in. It just put a dent in the 11-run lead they had. I was just trying to contribute. I don't hit that many. It's not one of those feelings that I get too often. A home run never crosses my mind until I see the ball up in the air. I put a good swing on it. You always want to get that first hit out of the way for the season. It could have been a double just as easy into right centerfield. But this is a good ballpark to hit in. You need a ballpark like this in Florida. There's going to be days it's pouring like cats and dogs at 5 o'clock, and you're going to need a dome. When you draw fans from Jacksonville and Orlando and Fort Myers and Miami -- taking some of the Marlins fans away -- they know we're going to play. We're not going to be rained out. That makes a big difference. It wasn't a situation where I tried to hit a home run. It just happened. Justin Thompson is a quality pitcher. He throws in the low 90s and puts it where he wants to. He just commands all of his pitches: fastball, curveball, changeup. He's one of the top pitchers in the league. He made the All-Star team last year, and deservedly so. But we're going to have to beat the best in order to win. I didn't get the ball back from the home run. It would be nice, it being my first home run as a Devil Ray. But I'm sure the fan will enjoy it more than I would. Overall, it was a special day for everyone in the clubhouse and Tampa Bay and baseball fans in general. Now we're on the map, and we just have to strive to get better, and we'll do that. Tonight was a good indication of the kind of team we are. We didn't give up. We battled and scratched and clawed in the bottom of the ninth. We'll come back and get Detroit tomorrow.
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ampa's Wade Boggs, an area resident since 1969, became the first Devil Rays player to hit a home run. Afterward, he shared his thoughts on the fans, the atmosphere and the game.
