Baseball Hall of Fame inductee and former Yankee Wade Boggs has prostate cancer.
He made the announcement via social media on Saturday night and sounded optimistic, saying he was ready to take part in the ritual cancer patients undergo and ring a bell at the end of their treatment.
“With the strength and support of my family and my faith in God, I will ring that damn bell,” Boggs wrote, adding a photo of a guide for prostate cancer patients.
Boggs, 66, played 18 MLB seasons with the Red Sox (1982-1992), the Yankees (1993-1997) and the then Devil Rays (1998-1999).
Boggs, a five-time batting champion and 12-time All-Star, was elected to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot in 2005, receiving 91.9 percent of the vote.
The Hall of Fame sent congratulations and posted on social media: “We are with you every step of the way, Wade!”
In his career, Boggs had a batting average of .328 and finished with 3,010 hits, 1,513 runs, 118 home runs and 1,014 RBIs. He also won his only World Series ring with the Yankees in 1996.
Boggs’ contemporary and fellow 2005 Shrine of Honor inductee Ryne Sandberg announced in mid-August that he was cancer-free after treatment for metastatic prostate cancer.
“The bell rang this morning!” Sandberg wrote. “WE did it, WE won! What a dream team, family, doctors, friends, nurses, fans that have supported me and (my wife) Margaret over the past 8 months! We feel so blessed by all the love, prayers, thoughts and positive words that have been sent our way!”
