by Lindsay Britton
In what I can only hope will be a permanent endeavor, every Monday I will be profiling a mustachio’d athlete from the past or present, in hopes of raising mustache awareness worldwide. Today’s athlete: Wade Boggs.
A life-time .328 hitter, Boggs dominated opposing pitching the same way he dominated facial hair.
While most remember Boggs for his 12 consecutive All-Star appearances or 5 batting titles, he will be remembered most fondly for winning the American League Mustache title over Yankee first baseman Don Mattingly for the years 1982-1992, inclusive. Judges deemed that the thickness of the mustache, combined with the last name “Boggs,” virtually guaranteed him the title. His 11 consectutive Mustache Titles remain a Major League record to this day.
Boggs’ mustache landed him a roster spot on Mr. Burns’ team of ringers in an episode of “The Simpsons,” being famously punched out by Barney Gumble in an argument over British Prime Ministers. This marked the pinnacle of Boggs’ mustache career.
Sadly, he would lose the Mustache Title in 1993 after an accident while trimming forced him to shave off the mustache in its entirety. The time it took to grow back would cost Boggs dearly, as it allowed Rafael Palmeiro to sneak in and steal that years award.
Some say that the ‘93 season marked a decline for Boggs. While he was always in the running, he never again captured the Mustache Title, retiring after the ‘99 season sporting an abridged version of the mustache that had made him a fan favorite.
Boggs’ great play and even greater mustache landed him in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005. And, fittingly, in 2007 he was a part of the inaugural group inducted into the Mustaches in Sport Hall of Fame.
http://blog.ingamenow.com/2009/02/02/mustache-monday-wade-boggs-we-salute-you/
No comments:
Post a Comment