Former major league pitcher Tommy Boggs passed away today after a battle with cancer, according to an announcement from Concordia University. Boggs, who’d been the head baseball coach at Concordia since 2009, was 66 years old.
The second overall pick of the 1974 draft, the right-hander joined the Rangers organization out of an Austin high school. Two years later, he was in the big leagues, debuting in July 1976 a few months shy of his 21st birthday. He made 13 starts for Texas as a rookie, pitching to a 3.49 ERA over 90 1/3 frames. He made just six MLB starts the following year, spending most of the season in Triple-A. Boggs was dealt to the Braves at the end of that year, part of a four-team blockbuster that sent Bert Blyleven from Texas to the Pirates.
Boggs would spend the next six seasons in Atlanta. After bouncing between the majors and Triple-A for the first two years, he carved out a permanent rotation role between 1980-81. Boggs had the best year of his career in 1980, making 32 appearances and working to a 3.42 ERA through 192 1/3 frames. He posted a 4.10 mark over 25 outings the following season before transitioning back into a depth role. Boggs stayed in Atlanta until 1983, then returned to the Rangers organization. After a year in the minors, he closed out his playing career with four relief appearances for Texas in ’85.
Altogether, Boggs played parts of nine MLB seasons. He posted a 4.22 ERA over 584 innings, winning 20 games and striking out 278 batters. He started 94 of his 114 big league outings.
MLBTR sends our condolences to Boggs’ family, friends, loved ones, former teammates and the number of players he coached at Concordia.
Vaya Con Dios Amigo!
Jeeez. Sad. RIP. Life is short. I’m sorry.
Paleo, life is very short friend. Got back a few hours ago from watching the Dodgers final home game with my Step Dad. Nice day out. Breezy. Only 18K at the stadium today…2 Dodger Dogs..Garlic Fries…Peanuts (a couple adult beverages too). I lived it up today. Never know when it might be your last game. Stayed till top 9 then hightailed it outta there!
Should’ve got the tequila mixer they sell at the stands for like $25 dude lol
Chipper, Oh man, I was lucky to be seated in the shade today…I saw a few people gallivanting around with those in tow. Can’t do it haha. Not in warm weather. Not at all these days basically haha.
P.S. Speaking of exorbitant prices, any other baseball fans here pay less than $7 bucks for a Hot Dog at their ball games/stadiums? Is $7 the going rate these days everywhere?
Everyone gets on Arte. But he only charges $10.00 for parking. What is it Chavez Latrine? $50.00. McCourt owns the parking lot. He leveraged his parking garage business to buy The Dodgers. Him and his wife get caught using the money they made off The Dodgers buying houses and what not. And McCourt walks away $2B. His wife doesn’t get any of the $2B because she divorced him before he got all that money. It’s good to be the King.
Winslow, you are preaching to the choir my man. I have always been a Halo fan, only got into the Dodgers the past few years. Indeed, $20 at Dodger Stadium ($40 for preffered parking, whatever that means). Angel stadium is $8 if you are wise enough and spry enough to park 250yds West in the Amtrak lot….The parking lot thing with McCourt is pretty egregious. If you wanna talk crazy though, try actually parking your car @ Dodger Stadium. I accidentally turned into a 1 way lane today, the head of security and 3 LAPD officers swooped in on me haha. Mind you, this was as I was entering the stadium. I swore to them that it was an honest mistake haha
Needless to say, I was let off with an incredibly stern talkin to + warning. The day commenced unhindered shortly after.
Which Concordia? There’s five or six of them, mostly in the Midwest.
Thinking the one in Irvine CA. Could be wrong.
Its not the one in Irvine. I work there and the head coach is a CSU Fullerton alum who never played professional baseball.
TrumboJumbo, I forgot to mention I’m impressed you even know about that school. It is fairly unknown, even in Orange County. (and Irvine).
Baseball77, Born and raised in SoCal. One of my HS pitching coaches played there and a good friend of mine has a son that plays ball there.
I thought the same. Irvine. Interesting to know there are several.
I’ve biked by the Irvine campus several times. Nice place.
This Concordia is in Texas
Concordia in Austin, Texas. It is a sad day. I actually went there when he was hired and he did a great job elevating the team while I was there. Think they even won a couple of Championships. Prayers for his family.
Life is good everyone…appreciate it
RIP Boss Hogg!
Reasonably certain it is not the one in Montreal. The one in Quebec and not Wisconsin. There. I did it. Would it have been so difficult to say what city the school is in?
For what it’s worth, it looks like he coached at the one in Texas. RIP.
Yes he did. I played against him twice and never realized he was a former MLB player. I do remember his face now that there have been some photos shared of him through the school’s website. Sad to hear.
He was the head coach at Concordia University in Austin, TX NCAA D3, I coached in the same conference as him for 13 years and he was a very fierce competitor, always seemed to intimidate the umpires as he had that big league presence on the field.. But the conversation always turned to his family each chance he got. Prayers for his wife and kids.
Article failed to mention that he is father to former Cardinal Mitchell Boggs.
not the same Tommy Boggs, Mitchell’s dad lives in Georgia
It is the same, check your resources again
Not an article to be proud of in other words.
I remember reading an old Sports Illustrated article from the 1970s where a reporter asked Tommy what pitch he hit for his first MLB homer.Boggs stated that he didn’t know because he had his eyes closed.Rip Tommy,
I was a teenager/early college years growing up in Atlanta when Boggs was acquired and pitched for the Braves. Always thought he was going to be better than he was. Liked him anyway. Since he and I are the same age, I think he passed way too soon. RIP Tommy.
Guess it takes a little while to mention on Baseball Reference he has passed.
Any relation to the agent John Boggs?