Red Sox legend Wade Boggs announces he's battling prostate cancer

BOSTON -- Red Sox legend and Hall of Fame third baseman Wade Boggs announced over the weekend that he has prostate cancer. The 66-year-old made the announcement on social media on Saturday, posting a message of positivity in the face of his diagnosis.

"I've never been a goal oriented person but with the strength and support of my family and my faith in God I'm going to ring that damn bell," Boggs posted to his X account on Saturday.

Boggs played 11 of his 18 MLB seasons with the Red Sox, and was consistently one of the best hitters in baseball during his time in Boston. A seventh-round pick by the Red Sox in 1976, he debuted in 1982 and hit .349 over 104 games to finish third in Rookie of the Year voting. That was just a preview of what was to come from Boggs.

Boggs won his first of five batting titles with the Red Sox in 1984 when he hit .361. His highest season average came in 1985 when he hit .368 and collected a career-best 240 hits. Boggs hit .338 for his Boston career, which is second only to Ted Williams and his .344 career average in a Red Sox franchise history. He went seven straight seasons with at least 200 hits from 1983-89.

Boggs was a fan favorite for his work with his bat, solid play at third base, and his superstitions on the field. He earned the nickname "Chicken Man" because he ate chicken before every game.

A 12-time MLB All-Star, Boggs also played with the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays. He signed with the Yankees in 1993 and went on to win a pair of Gold Gloves in pinstripes, plus a World Series with New York in 1996.

Boggs finished his playing career with 3,010 hits to go with his .328 average. He was enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005, wearing a Red Sox hat on his plaque. The Red Sox retired Boggs' No. 26 jersey in 2016.

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