Wade Boggs was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on a warm Sunday afternoon in upstate New York. He took his place among names that carry across summers and generations.

He's with Lazzeri and Palmer. He's with Carlton and Schmidt and Carew. He's with Reggie and Rollie and Doby and Yount.

Boggs' dad first put a Wiffle ball bat in his hands when he was 2 years old. He always held it right.

``Never cross-handed,'' Winfield Boggs said.

He's with Marichal and Morgan. He's with Catfish and Country and Pops. He's with Koufax and Drysdale and Seaver and Ryan.

He was born in Nebraska, but is a son of Tampa. Davis Islands. Bayshore Little League, Palma Ceia Little League. Legion Post 138. Plant High School.

He's with Mathews and Medwick. He's with Niekro and Sutton and Kell. He's with Gibson and Brooks and Robby and Brett. He's with Mays.

He played six long seasons in the minor leagues.

His first manager thought he'd never make it.

He's with Bench and Yastrzemski. He's with Williams and Lyons and Sewell. He's with Dickey and Doerr and Clarke and McCovey. He's with Aaron.

They said he couldn't hit for power. They said he couldn't play third.

He's with Stengel and Spahn. He's with Buck and Satchel and Josh. He's with Mickey and Whitey and Killer and Kiner.

He was Ichiro before Ichiro. He learned from Ty. He learned from Ted. He learned from Shoeless Joe. He watched Pete Rose hustle and made him a hero.

He's with Manush and Cepeda. He's with Gabby and Campy and Duke. He's with Cool Papa and Fergie and Bunning and Banks. He's with Jackie.

He played in Boston and New York and Tampa Bay.

He was a hitting machine.

Five Batting Titles

Seven consecutive 200-hit seasons, five batting titles.

He's with Huggins and Mack. He's with Sparky and Perry and Terry. He's with Simmons and Hubbell and Ashburn and Baker. He's with DiMaggio.

He hardly ever swung at the first pitch. He hardly ever flailed at a bad one.

He's with Galvin and Goslin. He's with Delahanty and Ruffing and Roberts. He's with Yogi and Arky and Scooter and Lefty. He's with Al Lopez.

He took grounders at the same time every day.

He ran at the same time every day.

He did everything at the same time every day.

He drew the symbol for the Hebrew word for ``Chai'' in the batter's box when he stepped to the plate.

He's with Feller and Flick. He's with Marquard and Molitor and Mize. He's with Baker and Crawford and Appling and Faber. He's with Musial.

He Was Never Boring

When he was hungry, chickens would head for the hills.

He was one of the oddest birds.

He once said he made himself invisible to be a man wielding a knife.

He told Barbara Walters he was addicted to sex.

He rode on the back of a horse after winning the World Series. He was never boring.

He's with Cronin and Carey. He's with Dizzy and Dazzy and Duffy. He's with Lombardi and Bender and Simmons and Frisch.

He got his first hit 23 years ago in Chicago. It was a single.

He got his 3,000th hit six years ago in St. Petersburg. It was a homer.

He's with Cochrane and Grove. He's with Foxx and Traynor. He's with Brock and Gehringer and Greenberg and Waner. He's with Teddy Ballgame.

His induction speech lasted about 12 minutes.

Love For Family

His voice cracked while thanking his daddy.

Win, the old Marine, saluted.

He's with Collins and Keeler. He's with Tinker to Evers to Chance. He's with McCarthy and Gomez and Wynn and McGraw.

Boggs quivered as he told his wife, who stuck by his side, how much he loved her.

He about lost it when he came to his late mother.

He's with Anson and Nichols. He's with Three-Finger and Old Pete and Old Hoss. He's with Walsh and Waddell and Heilmann and Hornsby. He's with Gehrig.

His sister, Ann Ashton, said, ``I believe our mother is in heaven. I'm a Christian. I can't help but think her loving father pulled back the clouds so she could see her boy today.''

He's with Lajoie and Young and Sisler and Speaker. He's with Wagner and Cobb.

He is with Babe Ruth.

``I'm living proof that dreams come true,'' Boggs said.

In a place called Cooperstown.