MLB power rankings: Top 30 nicknames of all-time
By John Buhler
10. Wade Boggs: The Chicken Man
Wade Boggs was a 12-time American League All-Star, an eight-time silver slugger recipient, a five time AL Batting Champion, a Baseball Hall of Famer and the owner of the most underrated nickname in MLB history: The Chicken Man.
Boggs was also a tremendously superstitious guy. Most of his quirkiness in the field had to do with getting as many hits as possible. He did collect 3,010 in his lengthy career with the Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
The three things that Boggs did as a player that drew the most attention were: 1.) He would draw the Hebrew symbol “Chai” for life every time he stepped in the batter’s box. 2.) That one cross-country flight involving a few Miller Lites. 3.) The dude ate chicken before every game, so much that his Red Sox teammate Jim Rice would coin him The Chicken Man.
Did Boggs ever embrace the nickname? Probably not, but it only adds to the superstitious nature of one of the best hitters in baseball history. If you had to eat chicken every day to attain 3,000 career hits, would you? Absolutely, because chicken is delicious and Boggs is an inspiration to any kid that has ever played the hot corner.