Baseball Roundup : Boston’s Boggs Finishes Season With 240 Hits--Highest Total in 55 Years

Wade Boggs completed a fabulous season of batting with three hits Sunday at Boston, but he couldn’t prevent the Red Sox from losing, 9-6, to the Milwaukee Brewers.

The three hits gave Boggs, who long ago clinched his second American League batting title in three seasons, 240 hits, the most by a major league hitter in 55 years.

Not since 1930, when the liveliest baseball in history was used, did anyone get more than 239 hits in a season. In 1930 Bill Terry of the New York Giants batted .401 and had 254 hits. That season the batting average of the entire National League was .303.

The three hits raised Boggs’ average to .368 for this season and lifted his major league average in just under four seasons to .351. It also allowed him to tie a major league record by hitting safely in his 135th game this season. Chuck Klein, who had 250 hits in that hitters’ season (1930), set the record.

“I’m so happy right now I can’t find words to express my feelings,” Boggs told the Associated Press. “The past week has been a struggle with no batting practice, a lot of rain and cold weather. I thought my stroke had gone south. But we got in some batting practice today and I managed to get the hits I needed.

“The thing that stands out is beating George (Brett). The last time the Royals were here in August, we were only two or three points apart. Luckily for me, he had a slump in September.”

Among other achievements by Boggs in his brilliant season were: a new American League record with 187 singles; sixth highest hits total in league history; led majors in multiple hit games (72); led majors in reaching base by a hit, walk or hit by a pitch (339), most since Ted Williams (358) in 1949, and longest hitting streak in majors (28 games).

Chicago 8, St. Louis 2--Although he sat out the finale at St. Louis, it was also a big season for Willie McGee of the Cardinals. McGee, posting the highest average ever by a switch-hitter in the National League, easily won the batting title with a .353 average. Previously, Pete Rose had a .348 season.

The Cardinals, who won the most games in the majors (101), also were the first National League team to have two 20-game winners (John Tudor and Joaquin Andujar) since 1969.

Vince Coleman stole 110 bases, a record for a rookie.

Montreal 2, New York Mets 1--Hubie Brooks singled in the winning run at New York and it was his 100th run batted in for the season, the first shortstop to accomplish that feat in the National League since Ernie Banks had 117 in 1960.

Although the Mets were disappointed in a second-place finish in the National League East, they could point with pride to the accomplishments of pitcher Dwight Gooden. The second-year right-hander had the most victories (24) and the best earned-run average (1.53).

Detroit 11, Baltimore 3--Teammate Chet Lemon hit two home runs in this game at Baltimore, but it was Darrell Evans, with his 40 home runs, who became, at 38, the oldest man ever to lead the American League in home runs.

It was a remarkable season for the veteran infielder who had such a terrible start and had only one home run in the Tigers’ first 21 games.

Oakland 9, Kansas City 3--The finale at Kansas City proved that George Brett is a better clutch hitter than a manager. Brett was acting manager for the Royals, who Saturday night became the only team to repeat as division champion in four years.

Houston 6, San Diego 4--Alan Ashby broke a 4-4 tie with a home run in the seventh inning at San Diego and lead the Astros to the victory that enabled them to tie the Padres for third place in the National League West.

The Astros won 12 of the 18 games between the teams.

Atlanta 8, San Francisco 7--Even a seven-run inning at San Francisco couldn’t prevent the club from losing 100 games for the first time in history. Until this season the Giants were the only pre-expansion franchise never to lose 100 games in a season.