A Visit from the Chicken Man MLB Hall of Famer Wade Boggs Wows Crowd at Law Foundation Holiday Benefit Luncheon

By Brian C. Engelhardt, Esquire

Wade Boggs captivated the audience of nearly 500 people at the Law Foundation of Berks County/PICPA Reading Chapter Holiday Benefit Luncheon on the first Friday of December.

Boggs shared various stories delivered in an engaging and relaxed manner, all enhanced by his great sense of comedic timing. He also deftly fielded questions from me and my armchair interview partner, Holiday Benefit Luncheon Chair Mark Caltagirone, as well as from members of the audience.

Few in attendance may have been aware of the extent of the accomplishments that earned Boggs a spot in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1995 following his 18-year career in Major League Baseball. Boggs spent his entire career in the American League while a majority of those at the luncheon likely root for the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League. Boggs played only 7 games against the Phillies after interleague play began in 1997. Some may have caught glimpses of Boggs playing in 12 All-Star Games, two World Series or an occasional nationally-televised game over the course of his 11 seasons with the Boston Red Sox, five seasons on The Dark Side (which was the view of Red Sox Nation) with the New York Yankees, then the two seasons for Tampa Bay Devil Rays (in the satanic era before the team changed its name to the plain old Tampa Bay Rays).

Among the gaudier statistics compiled by Boggs were 3,010 hits, compiling more than 200 in each of seven different seasons; a lifetime batting average of .328, 39th highest of all time; batting over .300 in 15 of the 18 seasons he played which was good enough to win five batting titles; 12 consecutive All-Star games, in which his collective batting average in them is .321; and so many more areas where he was an offensive leader. There are more. In the words of Casey Stengel, “You can look it up.”

“Boggs is as smart a hitter as I’ve ever seen. The next five or six years will tell the tale, but if he keeps up like he’s going now, he stands to be one of the greatest hitters of all time.”

- Ted Williams after 1985 season in which Boggs batted .368, winning his second batting championship

Most of the territory Boggs covered during his luncheon appearance related to baseball, including his recounting of his relationship with baseball great Ted Williams that began at least in concept when Boggs, experiencing problems with his hitting during his junior year of high school, read Williams’ book, “The Science of Hitting,” which his father loaned from a library. Taking Williams’ advice not to swing at pitches out of the strike zone resulted in Boggs significantly raising his batting average to .485 his senior year. Just a few years later, during Boggs’ first spring training camp with Boston in March of 1977, he introduced himself to Williams while they were waiting in line for a movie. It started a dialogue with Williams which covered not just hitting a baseball, but also hunting and fishing, as well as life in general. It was a dialogue that spanned 25 years until Williams’ death in 2002.

A Standing Ovation on Returning to Fenway, and “My World Series Championship for a Horse.”

Boggs shared heartfelt but humorous recollectons about his departure from Boston after the sudden death of owner Jean Yawkey. On his return to Fenway, after some boos and cheers in his initial at bat, the Red Sox faithful did give him a standing ovation. As to his time on “The Dark Side,” he shared several stories on his five seasons with the Yankees, with a high point of that episode of his career (aside from winning two Gold Gloves) being when he inexplicably ended up riding on the back of a New York City mounted policeman’s horse during the post-game celebration after the team clinched the 1996 World Series.

Big Night in Tampa and a Chicken Before Every Game.

Boggs related his memories of the evening of August 7, 1999 when he got his 3,000th hit while playing for Tampa, of which he was particularly fond because he had the company in the dugout of his son, Brett, who was then serving as the team batboy. Also that evening, Tampa manager Larry

Rothschild kiddingly

threatened to pinch hit for him after the two hits in his first at bats took him to hit number 2,999. Boggs also discussed the wide range of superstitions he held during his career, most important of which was eating chicken before every game, resulting in his having the nickname of “Chicken Man” and also resulted in his plaque in Cooperstown noting specifically that Boggs was, “Legendary for his superstitions.” So it was quite appropriate that the main course at the luncheon was a variation of chicken parmesan.

Boggs also discussed a number of other subjects beyond baseball. His career in show business included an appearance on Cheers – according to Boggs being the highest rated episode of the history of the series. (Check out his five minute appearance at https://tinyurl.com/2b6rkb7s. It's good stuff.) He appeared on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia in an episode where the subject of the determination of the legendary number of beers he consumed on a cross-country flight - which he confirmed at the luncheon in response to a question from the audience. (For the brief ASIP clip, see https://tinyurl.com/h4eaydff.)

Other television appearances include a cameo in an episode of Psych, as well as in The Simpsons and The Family Guy. Boggs also proudly recounted how he did his own stunts in his movie debut as “Deputy Stanley,” in Swamp Shark, a 2011 Sci-Fi thriller.

When discussing the importance of his family in his life, including the loss of his mother to a drunk driver as well as the role of his father, who has also passed away, Boggs shared feelings with those present and made for a very serious, touching part of the event. An excellent account that includes additional details of the event was written by Brian Smith and is found in the December 9, 2022 edition of the Reading Eagle at which can be found on-line at https://tinyurl.com/h4eaydff

Again I witnessed up close and personal the energy and effort that my armchair partner and fellow interviewer Mark Caltagirone devotes to making this luncheon a smashing success year after year. Mark’s efforts go far beyond firing questions at our guest. Kudos, Mark.

Left on the Cutting Room Floor

A couple of additional items about Boggs’ career and views of baseball that, because of time constraints, were not able to be included in the discussion at the luncheon. Here are just a few.

“They truly are the top experts in buying/ selling in this area, and the best team to entrust with such an important life event. Their team is incredibly committed to making the entire selling and purchasing process go as smoothly as possible.”

When it comes to the biggest investment in your lifetime, your experience is just as important as your agent’s. Over the last 40+ combined years in Berks real estate, the Eric Miller Team have delivered uncompromising honesty, integrity, attention, and tenacity, prioritizing their customers’ needs to give them the experience they deserve.

The Erics have mastered a blend of savvy negotiation, strategic problem-solving, and impactful marketing driven by a passion for their community. As Berks County natives, students, coaches, and playground leaders, the Erics know the area and market better than anyone. They join less than 0.5% of RE/MAX agents worldwide in the Circle of Legends, along with Hall of Fame and Lifetime Achievement status, and over $650 million sold.

You know the importance of having an advisor you can trust. And so do we.