Wade Boggs walked down a flight of stairs into a basement in what probably felt like a dream.
Each step he took, there was something new and different. There were pictures from his career, memorabilia, cards and even a pair of shower shoes he used to wear while he played for the Boston Red Sox.
This wasnt the Hall of Fame or a bar set in Boston dedicated to the legendary third baseman. Boggs was in Rich Davis home one of the biggest Boggs super collectors in the world.
And Boggs was coming over for lunch.
Davis, a Plainfield, Illinois, resident, became a fan of Boggs when he was just 11 years old. On Christmas 1985, he pulled a Boggs rookie card out of a pack of 1983 Donruss. He knew Boggs accolades.
Prolific hitter. High on-base percentage. Won a batting title.
But one thing he remembered was how much the card was worth. Ten dollars!
I was enamored that I was holding a card that was worth $10, said Davis, a Chicago Cubs fan. That was the spark for my collection. Knowing who he was and the price of that card. I was overwhelmed by it.
Since that fateful Christmas Day, Davis has been growing his Boggs collection to include thousands of cards and hundreds of pieces of memorabilia, including a 3-foot bobblehead that was originally in the Bob Feller Museum.
Davis even has a car decked out to honor Boggs, which he nicknamed The General Boggs, and used it to pick up Boggs for lunch at his home in early August.
Boggs loved it, Davis said. He called me before he came to my house and he said he wanted me to meet him up in The General Boggs.
Boggs, who won the batting title five times in his career, rode in the car to Davis home. This wasnt the first time the two met, but it would be the first time Boggs would visit what Davis has dubbed The Boggs Tavern.
Months prior, Boggs reached out to Davis and said he would be in Chicago for the National Sports Collectors Convention and would love to meet.
Yes, Wade Boggs reached out first.
Boggs interactions with his fans are far different than most athletes. Boggs, who has more than 3,000 career hits, adores his supporters and shows them love in different ways.
He knows many of them on a first-name basis, interacts with them on social media and makes them feel like theyre practically family. He never says no to a picture or an autograph.
Boggs has a way of making people feel as though hes met them time and time again like hes known them his whole life.
Thats why Boggs had no problem going to Davis home, and he wanted to see Davis collection and meet his family and friends.
There was a moment during his visit where I turned to [Boggs] and said if this is too much just let me know, Davis said. He stopped me mid-sentence and said, You know I love you. I would do anything for you.
Davis didnt want to have lunch just for himself. He invited about 30 people to his home, including other Boggs superfans who were going to be in the area for the National.
I wanted to share this with everyone, Davis said. It would have been great on my own, but there are so many people who this would have meant something to. I am sure I would have enjoyed it on my own, but it was special having everyone there.
And his fellow collectors appreciated it as well.
It was wild having lunch with a baseball player I grew up idolizing and looking up to, said Boggs fan Marie Pecora, who attended the lunch. Its one thing that he recognizes me at shows and comes over and says hello, but to just hang out and hear his stories from his playing days and Hall of Fame induction days was beyond anything I could have ever imagined. This day really demonstrates what collecting and being a sports fan is about. It was probably my favorite trip ever.
After taking the hour ride to Davis home, Boggs spent a few hours signing autographs, taking pictures, eating lunch and telling stories. It was a moment that Davis, his family and friends wont soon forget.
It turned out better than I ever could have imagined, Davis said. Hes such a good guy, so down to earth. This is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life.