OK - I'll Say It!

It's been months since Wade Boggs and Ryne Sandberg were named to the Baseball Hall of Fame and yet nobody has mentioned something that was central to both their careers - SEX!

It should be pretty clear by now that I'm no Wade Boggs fan and I feel kinda oogy being the first to mention the fact that Wade is maybe more famous to a non-sports following America for being a self-proclaimed sex addict than for being a baseball player. I mean it wasn't his batting average or consecutive 200-hit seasons that got Boggs a spot on a Barbara Walters Special.

Come on! Admit it! You remember the "Get Laid for Wade" signs.

Chicken wasn't the only thing Wade was eating on the road. You remember Margo Adams sitting in the "wives only" section for road games? Wade threatening to "out" teammates who were cheating on their wives on the road with his special Delta Force secret films?

Wade's sex addiction was as much a part of the 80's as soft porn on Cinemax.

Oh and let's not forget Ryne Sandberg who was the 80's answer to Kris Benson (but with much more talent). Cindy Sandberg was said to be linked to well... let's just say more than one Cub teammate. Many people believe this was the reason Raphael Palmeiro was traded away from the Cubs. An attempt at reconciliation with his wife was the reason Sandberg publicly gave for why he walked away from the game for a time.

No major writer has dealt with Sandberg's extended absence from the game or Wade's "sex addiction" in regards to their election to the HOF. Is that because talk of sex is taboo or is it poor taste to bring up the facts in "polite company"?

I'm not trying to dwell on the seemier side of either player's career, it's just that I'm very surprised that something so central to them as people, players and teammates has gotten no mention whatsoever.

Any honest appraisal of Bill Clinton as President would have to include references about Monica. Likewise, any honest appraisal of Wade Boggs should include reference to Margo and any appraisal of Ryne Sandberg's career should include an explanation of why he stepped away from the game for an extended period.