RIP Bill Buckner

Damn. Rest easy.

 

Terrible news.

 

ESPN is disgraceful... "Bill Buckner died" annonced on their ticker..."caused fateful error in world series"

 

Buckner played the last month of that season on one leg and guts. John McNamara should never, ever have let him stay on the field with a two-run lead to protect. Bucker could barely bend at the waist by Game Six.

 

Lewy Body Dementia - that is rough. Always thought he would have made a great lower c cowboy with that stache and the name (no comment on the brow). And honestly - Bob Stanley and Schiraldi deserved far more heat than Buckner got in that Game 6.

 

That is terrible and without a doubt written by someone below the age of 40.

 

Unfortunately, that's what Buckner will be remembered for forever. Just like Merkle, who was described as a first-rate player by many, was always remembered for not touching second base after the "winning" run scored.

That had me remembering when, in the late '80s when Bob Costas was hosting NFL Live on NBC (the show had morphed into a talk-show type format with a studio audience) and they had Buckner on a panel of athletes.
Costas asked Buckner if he was worried about having that error as his legacy despite having a pretty solid MLB career. In bringing that up Costas brought up Fred Snodgrass, the Giants outfielder who dropped a routine fly ball in the 1912 World Series that led to the Red Sox winning that Series. Costas pointed out that Snodgrass went on to become a successful banker and served as the mayor of Oxnard, Calif., for a time, and then put up a graphic of Snodgrass' New York Times obit, which was headlined "Fred Snodgrass, 86, Dead; Ball Player Muffed 1912 Fly." And now Buckner gets the same treatment.

 

Not sure anyone gave Buckner the love -- tenderness, empathy, heart -- that Larry David did.

Scene gets me every time. One of the 3-4 best scenes the show ever had.

 

It's not disgraceful at all. That's what he's known for. With all due respect, without that error Buckner is barely getting a mention anywhere today.

Here's the AP News Alert:

BOSTON (AP) -- Bill Buckner, forever known for error in 1986 World Series, dies at 69.

 

Bill Buckner >> Harold Baines