Wade Boggs, Ryne Sandberg elected to Hall of Fame

Tuesday, January 4th 2005, 2:13 pm

By: News On 6

NEW YORK (AP) _ Wade Boggs was overwhelmingly elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility Tuesday, and former Chicago Cubs great Ryne Sandberg made it on his third try.

Boggs, a five-time American League batting champion for the Boston Red Sox, was selected by 474 of the record 516 voters who are 10-year members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Boggs was a 12-time All-Star during an 18-year career, finishing with 3,010 hits. The third baseman also helped the New York Yankees win the 1996 World Series.

Sandberg, the 1984 National League MVP, made it to the Hall with just six votes to spare. Sandberg hit 277 career homers, the most by a second baseman at the time of his retirement, and led the NL with 40 in 1990. His .989 fielding percentage is the highest at the position.

Pete Rose, ineligible because of his lifetime ban from baseball for gambling, received nine write-in votes, six fewer than last year and his lowest total.