NATIONAL BASEBALL HALL OF FAME — 2005 INDUCTION CEREMONY PREVIEW

By P.J. Harmer

Staff Wri

Star photo by Julie Lewis National Baseball Hall of Fame president Dale Petroskey, left, introduces 2005 inductee Wade Boggs to a crowd estimated at 1,000 Friday during the Hall’s rededication ceremony on Main Street in Cooperstown. At right is Ryne Sandberg, who will join Boggs on stage at 1:30 p.m. Sunday during the 2005 Induction Ceremony at the Clark Sports Center.

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Wade Boggs built his Hall of Fame career around the basics: Hitting, defense and chicken.

A superstitious third baseman who said he ate chicken every day as a major leaguer, Boggs will join second baseman Ryne Sandberg on stage at 1:30 p.m. Sunday for the 2005 National Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Clark Sports Center.

The event will be broadcast live on ESPN Classic, ESPN Radio and the Hall’s website, www.baseballhalloffame.org.

The inductions of Boggs and Sandberg will bring the Hall’s membership to 260 and will follow the enshrinements of media aw[an error occurred while processing this directive]ard-winners Peter Gammons and Jerry Coleman. Longtime Boston Globe writer and ESPN baseball analyst Gammons won the 2004 J.G. Taylor Spink Award and Coleman, a 41-year veteran of broadcasting, earned the 2005 Ford C. Frick Award.

Not including Boggs and Sandberg, a record-tying 50 Hall of Famers are expected to attend Sunday’s ceremony. The same number returned to Cooperstown last year for the inductions of Dennis Eckersley and Paul Molitor.

Ernie Banks, Phil Rizzuto and Robin Yount, who originally accepted their Hall of Fame invitations, canceled earlier this week, Hall director of public relations Brad Horn said.

Horn added that a crowd between 20,000-25,000 people — up from 15,000 last year — is expected for the ceremony, which is free to the public.

"The signs that point toward that are increasing crowds (in Cooperstown) this week and increasing national appearances with Ryne Sandberg and Wade Boggs," Horn said. "It’s been a very busy week in Cooperstown. The museum has been bustling."

The weather also is expected to cooperate Sunday. According to the website www.weather.com, the forecast calls for partly cloudy skies with a high temperature of 79.

"The weather looks outstanding," Horn said Thursday. "Certainly three days out, we feel confident Sunday will be a wonderful day."

Although he earned his only World Series title with the New York Yankees in 1996, Boggs played 11 seasons with the Red Sox. His run in Boston included the 1986 season, when the Red Sox fell in the World Series to the New York Mets in seven games.

In 1993, Boggs joined the rival Yankees and struggled early.

"It took a couple to three months, but once I started hitting like I had in the past with the Red Sox and started playing good defense, then I made the All-Star team," Boggs said during an exclusive media conference call July 21. "Fans sort of said ’Ha-ha, now we’ve got him.’ It was sort of a rub in the Red Sox face that I had gone back to playing the way I was when I was a Red Sox player."

Boggs brought his superstitions with him to New York. In addition to his daily dose of chicken, Boggs followed the same pre-game routine. That included fielding a set number of grounders and taking the same number of swings during batting practice.

"I was very regimented," Boggs said. "Growing up in a military family, you eat dinner at the same time every day and you go to school at the same time every day. I was used to being on a schedule.

"I used the superstitions for being on a schedule, rather than showing up to the ballpark and jumping off the bus, getting dressed real quick and doing things like that," he continued. "I was very methodical on what I did as far as structuring my day, and knowing that at this time, I’m going to take my groundballs and this time, I’m going to run."

Whether it was the schedule, the chicken or something else, it worked for Boggs. He capped his 18-year career with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and finished with 3,010 hits and a .328 batting average all-time.

First-ballot electee Boggs, the first player to homer for his 3,000th hit, also drove in 1,014 runs, walked 1,412 times, had 578 doubles and struck out 745 times.

"As far as going in on the third ballot, I could not be more pleased, more honored or happier about that," said Sandberg, who spent all but 13 games of his 16-year career with the Chicago Cubs.

"I’ve never considered myself a Hall of Famer," he continued. "I’ve never preached it or even talked about it because I never thought that way. It was an honor to be on the ballot the first year. I just remember the thrill of being out of the game five years and my name was on the ballot for the Hall of Fame. That was an honor right there."

Sandberg started his career with the Philadelphia Phillies but was packaged with Larry Bowa and traded to Chicago for Ivan DeJesus in January of 1982.

From there, Sandberg blossomed into one of the best hitting second baseman in history. He finished with 282 homers, a record for second baseman until Jeff Kent broke it last season. Sandberg also batted .285 and had 1,061 RBIs, 403 doubles and 76 triples in his career.

On the flip side, Sandberg won 10 Golf Gloves and finished with a .980 fielding percentage in 2,135 games. In 10,170 chances, Sandberg committed 120 errors.

"I still think it’s important for players to take pride in their defense every day and every game," Sandberg said. "I think they can win games for their teams playing defense. I hope it doesn’t get to the point that it’s all offensive-minded how players are judged. I think defense is a very important part of the game. It wins games, and it wins championships, along with the offense."

Gammons, who also has Sports Illustrated and ESPN The Magazine on his resume, earned National Sportswriter of the Year accolades in 1989, ’90 and ’93.

Coleman, a former major league All-Star infielder in nine seasons with the New York Yankees, started in the broadcast booth in 1960. He’s called games for the San Diego Padres for 32 seasons, including the last 23 in a row.

The Hall also will continue its special presentation highlighting the accomplishments of one living Hall of Famer during the ceremony. Duke Snider, elected in 1980, will be the subject of this year’s presentation.

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P.J. Harmer can be reached at pharmer@thedailystar.com or 607-432-1000, ext. 229.