Tony Gwynn and Wade Boggs on Up Close

"I walked up to the plate and it was magical," said Boggs in a recent appearance on Up Close with Gary Miller. "The flash bulbs started going off before I went into the batter's-box and then once I hit the ball it was 'oh my gosh, there it goes.'"

During their appearance on Up Close, the two sweet swingers talked about the emotions of reaching 3,000, the importance of family, and the possibility of going after 4,000. The following is an edited transcript of the interview.

Gary Miller: Take us through some of the emotions of that night (of your 3,000th hit) and why it brings out so much emotion emotion in you?

Wade Boggs: Well, leading up to the moment I really didn't want to talk about what it was going to be like to walk up to the plate with 2,999 and I wanted to just share that moment once it happened.. I didn't want to think about "is it going to be a line drive up the middle, is it going to be a line drive to left, is it going to be just a bloop in the hole", and furthest from my imagination is that it would have ever been a home run.... I walked up to the plate and it was magical. The flash bulbs started going off before I went into the batter's-box and then once I hit the ball it was "oh my gosh, there it goes." I come up to (first base coach) Billy Hatcher and he had said that he wanted to give me a kiss when I got my 3,000th so I just went right by Billy, and then on my way to second I blew my mother a kiss and that was special.. Then coming around third and shaking (3rd base coach) Greg Riddoch's hand and blew my mother another kiss, and then all of a sudden I saw one of the greatest tackles I've ever seen. Just coming out of nowhere, one of our security guards just floors this guy!.. Then I kneeled down and kissed home plate, and that was an emotion; I just had no idea why I did that. I guess it was just a big thank you to baseball that I could do that... Then all my teammates crowded around and then I turn around and my dad was standing right there. That was priceless, it really was... And then my wife was there and gave her a big hug and a kiss, and through the sea of humanity my son sort of parted the sea, and he was standing there.. He's been a big part of this because he has been the bat boy for about two weeks and seen all the ups and downs, and the hits leading up to this, before 2,999 tapped his knee again for good luck. But one of the biggest thrills that I got was in the middle of the press conference when my daughter showed up, driving back from Fort Lauderdale and that was terrific.

Miller: We can see the emotion still very fresh from just a couple days ago. You lost your mom in '86 the year the Red Sox went to the World Series. Why do you think the emotion is still so fresh all these years later?

Boggs: She was there in the beginning when my father was stationed at Savannah. She would take me to all the Little League games, and I only got to see my father on the weekends because he was stationed up there and we lived in Brunswick, Georgia.. So I had this bond between a son and a mother that you couldn't imagine because she was not only my mother, but she had to be the father when my dad wasn't there, and you never stop loving your mother.

Miller: In the year 2000, the club has an option, Chuck Lamar and the Devil Rays haven't made a commitment yet. What do you think your future is in baseball and in Tampa?

Boggs: Gary I really don't know, right now I am hitting .300 and feeling fine. I hate to be labeled as 41 years old, when I can come out and go first to third or first to home and still produce the way that I am right now. I hope that that doesn't have any bearing on what their decision is going to be, because I really don't feel like I'm playing like I'm 41. But we'll sit down in the off-season and talk about my future and what their plans are. Who knows? If this is the end of my career, then I can reflect back and know how special it was, or I can continue to play next year and add new things to my career . Either way it will be a decision made not only by myself but by the Devil Rays front office.

Miller: Do you have a message you want to give to Tony as you join the 3,000-hit club together?

Boggs: Yes I really do. Tony: congratulations, it gave me goose-bumps when I saw you line that single over the second baseman's head. It was vintage Tony. We've been allies rather than adversaries because I've really never had to compete against you. And I am glad of that because I didn't have you to try and win silver bats in this league. Tony, I think you are the best man, go for 4000, good luck to you buddy.

Miller: How do you feel about what (Wade Boggs) had to say about you?

	Tony Gwynn celebrated his 3,000th hit with his mother Vendella.

Tony Gwynn: Its wonderful. You know, after he got his 3,000th hit on Saturday night I sent him a telegram, and I hope he got it, thanking him for really being the standard bearer for a guy like me because he, to me, really set the example. He was the guy that everyone wanted to emulate. If you were a contact hitter, that's the guy that you had to chase and so, to hear those words for him really means a lot. But you know, I can't think of a better way to do it than the way he did it, to hit a home run in front of the home folks, nobody has ever done that... You know, I'd like to return the favor. I wish him nothing but the best and congratulate him on a great career and finally getting to 3,000, and now we can both move on because I don't think in either one of us think that we are through. We are going to keep going.

Miller: He said go for 4,000, are you going to?

Gwynn: Yeah I caught that, I don't know. That's a lot to fathom right now. Especially after this past week, trying to get 10 hits to get to 3,000, I just can't get myself to think about that right now. I think in him mentioning it, we both realize it's still out there and whether or not we get to it remains to be seen. But that number is out there and if either one of us wants to make a run for it, check with us in a couple years; maybe we'll be able to do it.

Miller: How come you couldn't get it done at Busch?

Gwynn: (laughing) Believe me I really put a lot of pressure on myself that last game in St. Louis to get it done, because I had a whole lot of family there myself, and all these people are coming in wishing me luck. And let me tell you: the fans in St. Louis were just unbelievable, I was really treated like royalty there, and I really appreciated that. But the way it worked out, it couldn't have been better. Thursday night that was Mark McGwire's night; he hit his 500th home run. Friday night I got my 3,000th hit, and Saturday night Wade gets his. Three milestones on three nights; you'e not going to see that for a long time. From my standpoint it worked out well.

Miller: Jealous of Boggs because he gets to do a home run trot? You know, you beat him to 3,000 but he got to savor the thing.

Gwynn: No I'm really not, I'm really happy for him because being at home that's the deciding factor for me and finishing it off like that with a chance to run around the bases, do whatever you want to do, do whatever you think is appropriate, that was excellent, and I couldn't be happier for him. But for me what happened, you know a broken bat single over the second baseman's head, hey that'll work for me. Being able to stand at first base, being able to hug my teammates, hug my mother, hug my family, that was great.