Boggs, Sandberg enter Baseball Hall of Fame

Five-time American League batting champion Wade Boggs and long-time Chicago Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame Sunday.

Boggs, 47, and Sandberg, 45, were the only two players elected into the Hall in Cooperstown, N.Y., earlier this year by members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Longtime San Diego Padres broadcaster Jerry Coleman and ESPN baseball writer were also recognized in Sunday's ceremony.

Coleman was given the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting excellence, while Gammons won the J.G. Taylor Spink Award, presented annually for meritorious contributions to baseball writing.

Boggs was a clear player selection in his first year of eligibility, while Sandberg narrowly made the 75 per cent cutoff by just six votes in his third eligible year.

"I stand here today, incredibly humbled, extremely overwhelmed and so very proud," Boggs, a 12-time all-star, said during his induction speech.

"Humbled by the fact that never in a million years would I have ever thought I'd be on the same stage with all these great Hall of Famers and enshrined into the National Baseball Hall of Fame."

Boggs stroked 3,010 hits in his big-league career to put him 24th on the all-time list. He finished with a sparkling .328 batting average over his 18-year career split between the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

His Hall of Fame plaque features him wearing a Red Sox cap.

Boggs passed the 200-hit mark in seven straight seasons and also captured two Gold Glove awards for his defensive play at third base.

Sandberg was also skilled both defensively and at the plate. The smooth-fielding second baseman won nine Gold Glove awards in his career and his .989 fielding percentage is the highest ever for a second basemen.

Sandberg, who spent almost his entire 16-year career with the Cubs, was also humbled by the Hall of Fame honour.

"A lot of people say this honor validates my career," Sandberg said. "But I didn't work hard for validation. I didn't play the game right because I saw a reward at the end of the tunnel. I played it right because that's what you're supposed to do, play it right and with respect."

A 10-time all-star, Sandberg clubbed 277 homers, the most by a second baseman at the time he retired.

Sandberg played just 13 games with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1981 before being traded, along with former shortstop Larry Bowa, to the Cubs for shortstop Ivan DeJesus.

The Hall of Famer went on to appear in 2,151 games over 15 seasons with the Cubs.

with files from Sports Network