Posted on 05/27/2019 11:00:28 AM PDT by EdnaMode
Bill Buckner, the longtime major leaguer whose error in the 1986 World Series for years lived in Red Sox infamy, died Monday.
"After battling the disease of Lewy Body Dementia, Bill Buckner passed away early the morning of May 27th surrounded by his family," his family said in a statement. "Bill fought with courage and grit as he did all things in life. Our hearts are broken but we are at peace knowing he is in the arms of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
He was 69.
Buckner played 22 seasons in the majors, was an All-Star once and won a batting title in 1980. But it was a ball that went through his legs at Shea Stadium on a cool Oct. 25 night in 1986 that made for one of baseball's most shocking moments.
Boston, looking for its first World Series title since 1918, carried a 5-3 lead into the bottom of the 10th inning of Game 6 against the Mets. New York tied it with two runs, then brought Mookie Wilson to the plate.
Wilson worked a 3-2 count off reliever Bob Stanley, and then, with a runner on second base, bounced a slow roller up the first-base line on the 10th pitch of the at-bat. Buckner ranged to his left, went down to snag the ball behind the bag and watched it roll through his legs and into right field. Ray Knight scored to give the Mets a 6-5 can-you-believe-it win. They took Game 7, too, a gut punch to a Red Sox team a strike away from a long-awaited title just 48 hours earlier.
His Red Sox teammates said Buckner wasn't to blame, noting Boston wouldn't even have been in the World Series without his efforts that season.
(Excerpt) Read more at espn.com ...
People remember the Buckner error, but they forget that Bob Stanley’s flaccid arm and meltdown lost that series.
RIP Bill. You did not deserve the branding that were given.
Thanks, I actually never saw the homer. I was at work listening to the game on the radio. And like hundreds if not thousands of Sox fans, jumped up and exclaimed “Bucky Dent??? Who the [bleep] is Bucky Dent!!!”
No! RIP.
Everybody has heard about the Cubs curse, at least prior to 2016. When Buckner committed the error playing for the Red Sox he was wearing a Cubs batting glove under his mitt.
Here’s an article on it:
http://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=lukas/061018
RIP.
Bill Buckner was a good player. He might be known for the error, but as a Bosox fan, I forgave him.
1986 had two upsetting sports events for me...Hartford Whalers lost game 7 to the Canadians and Bill Buckner error...
He had a great career and an even better post player career, moving to Idaho where he owned commercial properties and three car dealerships in the Boise area.
Didn’t he start out with the Dodgers?
I remember that!
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