A question for Sox fans: Where is Bill Buckner now?

[dougal55]

Hi!

Ive been reading a lot of press on the net about the Sox win of the World Series for the first time in 86 years and it made me remember the last time the Sox went to the World Series in 1986 against the Mets which Bill Buckner infamously failed to scoop up the grounded ball in game 6.

So Im asking what has happened to him and what is he doing now? Im pretty sure he was one of the first things on a lot of Sox fans' minds as soon as the Red Sox wrapped up the World Series against the Cardinals and would now forgive him for the mistake he made that very night in 1986.

any ideas?

dougal

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

he actually may doesn't want the forgiveness of red sox fans and is quite pissed at them...

Buckner Happy for Red Sox, Bitter at Fans
Thu Oct 28, 7:18 PM ET
By The Associated Press

CHICAGO - Bill Buckner hopes the Boston Red Sox (news)'s first championship in 86 years ends the animosity aimed at him ever since his blunder in the 1986 World Series (news - web sites).

"They're a fun team to watch and a good bunch of guys, and they certainly deserved to win the World Series this year," Buckner told Sporting News Radio on Thursday.

Fans blamed Buckner for ruining Boston's previous chance at a World Series title, in 1986 against the New York Mets (news). Buckner's error on Mookie Wilson's grounder down the first-base line, which gave the Mets a victory in Game 6, became a symbol of the team's postseason failures. Even though the Mets tied the game on a wild pitch earlier in the ninth inning and won the championship in seven games, Buckner's blunder is replayed repeatedly in programs about the Red Sox.

"Personally, on my end of it, I'm just a little disappointed with the whole thing. This whole thing about being forgiven and clearing my name, you know, I mean ... cleared from what? What did I do wrong? It's almost like being in prison for 30 years and then they come up with a DNA test to prove that you weren't guilty.

"I've gone through a lot of, what I feel, undeserved bad situations for myself and my family over a long period of time, and for someone to come up to me and say, 'Hey, you're forgiven,' I mean, it just kind of brings a really bad taste in my mouth."

Any chance of Buckner showing up for this weekend's victory parade in Boston?

"Not a chance," he said. "Like I said, I don't want to take anything away from this team. This is their championship, this is what they did and I'm happy for them. But my team in '86 didn't win and this team did."

The Sports Guy (who i think secretly posts here, seeing as he's a self admitted adict to internet message boards and is also a big U2 fan who's often used U2 references in his stories) has a great article about Buckner on ESPN.com that he wrote about 2 years ago. It's a quality read.

 

[speedracer]

There was a piece by Leigh Montville (a Boston native) in Sports Illustrated around 10 years ago. It was about Buckner leaving Boston and moving to Montana or Idaho or someplace out west because he couldn't take the abuse from Red Sox fanatics.

One anecdote from that piece: Buckner was signing autographs at some function, and a kid gave him a baseball to sign. The kid's father said something like "don't hand him the ball, he'd just drop it and have it go through his legs". Buckner quietly signed the kid's ball, then tried to strangle the father.

Buckner's really bitter about the way he's been treated in Boston, and with good reason.

 

[stammer476]

The Sports Guy (who i think secretly posts here, seeing as he's a self admitted adict to internet message boards and is also a big U2 fan who's often used U2 references in his stories)

That would be awesome. Don't tease me, headache. If we could get him and the TMQ, I would never leave this board.

 

[speedracer]

I find TMQ to be kind of annoyingly repetitive nowadays. Blitzing on 3rd and more than 6 sucks, don't use the spread formation near the goal line, etc.

I guess it's not his fault that football coaches are dumb, though.

 

[saltwaterkiss26]

So what do Bill Buckner and Michael Jackson have in common?

They both wear a glove on one hand for no apparent reason.

No, I'm kidding. It wasn't really his fault. Fans just need a scapegoat.

 

[bret6262]

Ouch. Shaman.

 

[speedracer]

So what do Bill Buckner and Michael Jackson have in common?

They both wear a glove on one hand for no apparent reason.

No, I'm kidding. It wasn't really his fault. Fans just need a scapegoat.

What's the difference between Neil Armstrong and Michael Jackson?

Neil Armstrong walked on the moon.

Michael Jackson had sex with young children.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

What's the difference between Neil Armstrong and Michael Jackson?

Neil Armstrong walked on the moon.

Michael Jackson had sex with young children.

now THAT is a joke

 

[Hewson]

People (and perhaps Billy Bucks himself) seem to forget that Mr. Buckner returned to the Red Sox a few years later (1989 I think) and was greeted with a rousing standing ovation. He also hit an inside the park home run in that stint ( an opposing right fielder flopped over the wall just beyond the foul pole, allowing the not so fleet of foot Buckner to circle the bases).
Most Sox fans know that Buckner is not the reason the Sox lost game 6...the main culprit was Calvin Schiraldi if one must point fingers. There are of course a few igno's in Red Sox nation as there are everywhere (right Headache?), so some idiots will always mention the game to Buckner...he however should get past the whole thing.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

There are of course a few igno's in Red Sox nation as there are everywhere (right Headache?), so some idiots will always mention the game to Buckner...he however should get past the whole thing.

obviously the blame for game 6 deserves to be on the heads of schiralldi, stanley and mcnamara more than buckner... but, alas, buckner is funnier.

 

[Hewson]

stanley

I still insist that the wild pitch should have been called a passed ball, so I would put Gedman on the list instead, just my opinion, but its shared by a lot of others around here.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I still insist that the wild pitch should have been called a passed ball, so I would put Gedman on the list instead, just my opinion, but its shared by a lot of others around here.

fair enough... and while we're giving blame to other people instead of buckner... perhaps we can give some credit to the likes of gary carter, kevin mitchell, ray knight and mookie wilson, as well... because even if buckner had gotten that groundball, no one knows if he would've actually been able to throw mookie out at first.

 

[Hewson]

I don't think Buckner would have had any shot at Mookie, but if Buckner gloves the ball, Knight doesn't score, he stops at 3rd, and Stanley has a shot to still get the next batter out and keep the game tied.