Buckner Opening Day 4.8.08

[WhippJunior]

Teams lose games. Buckner NEVER deserved the blame for '86. This guy had a great career.

[zenmachinefilms]

Awesome to see. True RedSox fans remember this guy for the incredible grit he showed, and amazing career he had, not for one play. Macnamara said he was his best player, and had the Sox not had him in '86 they never would have even made the playoffs.

[JustAintthatWay]

me teary eyed

[kingmarcos789]

Right down the Middle

[redsox2316]

Only true Red Sox fans knows that 86 was not Buckners fault. He was a guy who worked amazingly hard during the regular season, and he deserved to play first base in Game 6. 86 was Schiraldi's fault. He was the one who messed up anyways. The Red Sox had lots of other chances to win, and they blew them all. The blame goes to Buckner because his was the one that was closest to the end of the game. Ease up on him guys, and blame Schiraldi.

[gopjunkie1]

Lemme see....Cal Schiraldi decides to get wild...Oh and was that Dave Stapleton sitting on the bench in the extra innings? Seems to me that John McNamara's poor managing was as much a reason the Sox lost game 6. Oh wait...the Sox had the lead in game 7 also, I guess them blowing that lead was Buckers fault as well.

[Buzzardz]

"Scourge"??? The game was tied when the ball goes through his legs. Thank Bob Stanley who couldn't hit the strike zone or even the catchers mitt for Christ sakes. Calvin Schiraldi; same thing. People who blame Buckner simply don't know baseball or the game in question.

[redsox2316]

@Buzzardz Agreed

[xxxxxxxxxxvxxxxxxxxx]

Now all we need is Steve Bartman to throw out the first pitch at a Cubs game.

[tchaser58]

'Scourge of 86?' What, is he a disease? There were plenty of goats to go around on the Sox that led up to the Buckner play, yet it's Buckner that is this 'scourge'.

[sternumagnum]

Twenty-plus years on and he's clearly looking sheepish on the mound. I guess some things we just can't get over.

[Vtang01]

What seats were those? That would be a great view of the game!!

[SD1Chargers]

Bob Stanley is the goat

Calvin Shiraldi is the goat

That loser manager Morgan is the goat

[MekongMambo]

I agree that Billy Buckner got scapegoated for that game. That game was already lost at that point. I always liked Buckner. He shouldn't have even been out there on that gimpy knee. Morgan was on his ass and not thinking clearly. I've been a hard core Sox fan since I was 5 in 1967, but I always thought Buckner got a raw deal. Nice to see it's behind him and everyone else now.

[mattyg2k6]

Still gets the room dusty...

[juiceman1965]

Without Buck, they never make the series anyway....he was the grit and heart of that team

[cjf799]

Im a Mets fan for life but if there were no Mets Sox all the way

[manifestgtr]

who's the rocket scientist yelling "don't blow it!"...dude you should be a comedy writer..I mean to come up with something that fresh and witty to scream out at a poor tortured dude who happened to be a killer player and got scapegoated worse than anyone in the history of baseball...no one even laughed...

[CrueFest411]

@manifestgtr exactly it was like 25 yrs ago give the guy a break

[plemai01]

another example of self-righteous boston fans. after all the torment that red sox fans gave bill buckner - including calling his home when he lived a post-baseball retired life in midwest america - they feel like they can 'forgive' him for his error after they've won the world series? good on buckner for accepting the invitation, but shame on the red sox and boston for reliving his error over and over and over again (!) he doesn't owe them anything and shouldn't need their 'forgiveness'

[goobertay]

seriously dude

fuck the red sox

[ClearBeach87]

@plemai01 LMFAO, another example of a baseball newbie who wasn't even alive in 1986 who has no idea WTF she's talking about. Buckner even said it was never the Boston fans, and it wasn't. I lived in it. He played in Boston 4 years after 1986 and got a standing ovation on Opening Day. It was promulgated entirely by several national news media members over the years who were jealous, as this imbecile Sox fan wannbe PLEMAI01 is.

[ClearBeach87]

@plemai01 ROTFL, learn what you're talking about before you make a fool of yourself, Einstein.

[PeachkinzProductions]

@plemai01 lol wrong

[Thelookoutslookout]

@plemai01 Who said anything about "forgiveness"?

[TheTeddySmith1]

Amen. Bob Stanley was the one whos wild pitch tied the game. Can't blame Buckner. God Bless Him

[sportsoracle]

I find myself torn. On the one hand, I find myself watching that game 6 play over and over again, because the game was a classic and I was also in the midst of my first serious relationship with a wonderful woman at the time.

Yet at the same time, I think back to the hustle Buckner always showed in Chicago and even back to his LA days, and get sad to think that this was his last season and to have it end this way.

[gberryful]

He was beat to shit you cant blame him. He couldnt even walk let alone run. he should have never been in the field in the first place. mookie would have beat him to the bag anyway

[k0valchuk17]

luckley there wasnt a batter to hit one back to him

[havee3333333]

Alot of people forget that he had a gold glove with the cubs... Sucks for the Red Sox that he couldn't make a simple play...

[axanproductions]

poor bill buckner mustve felt like shit after the game. it doesnt sink in till after u go home. at the game ur like oh shit. but at home thats when it starts to make u sad. i feel sorry for bill.

[etg592]

what an asshole. as if the guy has not suffered enough and in his return you heckle him. go to hell you yankee bastard.

[samlovessk8boading]

what do you mean?? Bill Buckner was AWESOME back then but all we remember is that one play.

[mrblujet]

Yeah, you cheer for Buckner now. Where were you ten-years ago?

Boston fans are pathetic.

[mdefil23]

so pathetic...people hated this guy..

its baseball! especially boston fans...will turn on their players so quick!

[Lava1964]

I've always blamed manager John McNamara for not putting in Dave Stapleton in as a defensive replacement for Buckner who had been hobbling the entire 1986 World Series.

[wesdawg313]

People aslso forget that the Red Sox allowed two runs to tie the game before Buckner's error

[randomname349]

True. Blame Bob Stanley, and ESPECIALLY Calvin Schiraldi. He couldn't get one more frickin' out, and he was supposed to be the closer. He's definitely the goat, yet Buckner gets all the flack.

[axanproductions]

its because his was the last play. just putting the point not agreeing with everyone else. the reason people rain down on him is because he was the last play.

[randomname349]

That's true, I just wish people would remember what happened before.

[tchaser58]

Buckner the scourge eh? Not nice at all.

[jlfahrer]

People forget that Buckner was a great player. The Red Sox wouldn't have won the 1986 pennant without him.

[mcates101]

Exactly, every player makes errors. He just happened to make his at a bad time.

[jlfahrer]

And the 100+ RBI season that helped his team get to where they were was long forgotten. The media really made him uncomfortable not the fans. When Buckner returned to the Sox in 1990 he got an ovation from the fans.