Boggs, Sandberg elected to Hall of Fame

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y., Jan. 4 (UPI) -- Baseball greats Wade Boggs and Ryne Sandberg were elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame Tuesday.

Boggs and Sandberg, both infielders, were among 27 candidates eligible for the 2005 election, conducted by the Baseball Writers Association of America.

To be elected, candidates needed at least 387 of 516 votes. Boggs garnered 474 in his first year of eligibility and Sandberg received 393 in his third try.

Boggs, who started with Boston and was a five-time American League batting champ, moved to the New York Yankees before finishing his career with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He accumulated 3,010 hits, 118 homers and 1,018 RBI.

Sandberg, the 1984 National League MVP and a 10-time all-star second baseman, played in 2,164 games, all but 13 with the Chicago Cubs, during his 16-year career. He had 2,386 hits, including 282 homers, and 1,061 RBI.

Players who fell short in this year's voting included outfielder Jim Rice and pitchers Goose Gossage, Bruce Sutter and Lee Smith.