New York — Outside, the rain is drizzling, and in a Florida hospital room, a legend is slowly slowing down with each breath. Wade Boggs, the Hall of Famer, 1996 World Series champion and one of the most prolific writers in MLB history, has confirmed his illness, and may not have much time left with his family, with basketball — and with the Bronx.
In an emotional letter to fans sent through his agent, Boggs shared:
“I can’t feel my right hand. My body is Decaying. But if there’s anything I can still feel… it’s the love for baseball, and the pride of having worn a Yankees jersey.”
“I’m done… but the Bronx will always be the best sigh”
From a quiet kid drawing on a desk in Tampa, to the glorious moments of winning a championship with the Yankees in 1996, Wade Boggs’s journey has been a beautiful and gentle one. But his rapidly progressing neurodegenerative disease has left him with no feeling in his hands, difficulty speaking, and a ventilator at night.
“When I came to the Bronx, I thought I was just another old Boston player. But you guys welcomed me like flesh and blood. You made me feel young again,” Boggs wrote, his handwriting shaking.
He doesn’t talk much about the pain. He only recalls the simple things: the sound of cars racing outside Yankee Stadium, hugs from young fans, and the last time on the field with his hat raised in the air at the Hall of Fame ceremony.
Wish: “Just to Hear the Bronx Owl One More Time”
Boggs doesn’t ask for anything. He just wants to hear the Bronx Owl one last time, even if it’s on the radio. He has refused life-extending treatments if he “forgets the Bronx.”
The Yankees are considering a night in his honor — though he’s not sure he’ll have time to attend.
“I don’t want people to remember me as a player. Please remember me as a person who loved the Bronx more than he loved himself.”
America Prays for Wade
Since the news broke, players, fans, and admirers around the world have shared their prayers via the hashtags:
#PrayForBoggs | #ThankYouWade | #ForeverYankee
“I could leave this world at any time… but I’m going to leave with pride: I was a Yankee.” — Wade Boggs