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Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Buckner throws out first pitch as Red Sox hand out bling

Little roller up along first, behind the bag, it gets through…finally, to the Red Sox fans, that that was a long ####### time ago!

The heartbreak of 1986 seems like a long time ago for the Boston Red Sox now that they’ve won two world championships in four years.

Long enough that Bill Buckner, whose 102 RBIs for the Red Sox that season were eclipsed by his error at first base in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, was chosen to throw out the first pitch of Boston’s home opener at Fenway Park on Tuesday as the Red Sox celebrated their 2007 title and gave out World Series rings.

Loud cheers and a long ovation greeted Buckner, who occasionally dabbed at his eyes as he walked to the mound to throw out the first pitch. Former Red Sox outfielder Dwight Evans caught his throw from the mound.

Repoz Posted: April 08, 2008 at 05:28 PM | 12 comment(s) | Login to Bookmark
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1. Gamingboy Posted: April 08, 2008 at 06:07 PM (#2735136)

Will Bartman throw out the first pitch when the (and if) the Cubs win another one?

I doubt it. And for that, I have to applaud the Red Sox. It was never Buckner's fault anyway.... Mcnamara should have taken him out. And I still don't think that Buckner would have beaten Mookie Wilson to the bag anyway.

2. Boileryard Posted: April 08, 2008 at 06:13 PM (#2735151)

Plus the game was already tied at the time of the error and the Red Sox had another chance to win two days later. It always seemed odd to me that Buckner got the blame for that one.

3. Shooty: Applying to be Fearless Leader

Posted: April 08, 2008 at 06:23 PM (#2735185)

Because the ball went right through his freakin legs. It just looked awful. It was the last play of a horrific loss and it just, visually, looked pathetic. I've always thought it was very easy to understand how that play not only came to symbolize the loss of the game, but also of the Series and of 70 odd years of frustration. It wasn't fair to Buckner, and, rationally, he didn't deserve all the crap he got. But sports, at its root, is a visceral and emotional experience, and that play couldn't have more perfectly embodied the hopelessness of endeavor than a giant white whale crushing a ship made of sticks helmed by a one-legged lunatic.

4. Rodder Posted: April 08, 2008 at 06:28 PM (#2735207)

Great gesture by the Red Sox. Hopefully it buys the man some peace.

5. Flynn Posted: April 08, 2008 at 06:46 PM (#2735278)

It probably took 2004 to really buy Billy Buck some peace, but the Red Sox treated him with quite a bit of class after '86. They let him play his way onto the 1990 Red Sox team as a 3rd choice first baseman/DH, and one of the loudest cheers ever heard at Fenway was a 40 year old no ankles Buckner legging out his first and only career inside the park home run.

Red Sox fans never blamed Buckner..it's McNamara that usually gets the vitriol.

6. Boileryard Posted: April 08, 2008 at 07:20 PM (#2735433)

I think many outside of Boston often mis-remember the details of the event or never knew them in the first place. When the error has been shown on TV in recent years, the actual game situation is seldom mentioned. I've encountered some people who thought the Red Sox were ahead at the time of the error and that they would've won the World Series if Buckner had made the play.

7. bibigon Posted: April 08, 2008 at 07:24 PM (#2735449)

Would have been nice if they did this in 2005, but still a nice gesture.

8. SoSHially Unacceptable Posted: April 08, 2008 at 07:32 PM (#2735480)

And I still don't think that Buckner would have beaten Mookie Wilson to the bag anyway.

Quite possibly true, but if Buckner fields it cleanly, Knight doesn't score from second on the play. Of course, if that had happened, the odds of the Red Sox retiring the next batter were about 1 in 6 billion, so it was probably moot in the end.

And yes, Buckner was unfairly given the bulk of the blame for that inning, when McNamara, Schiraldi, Stanley and Gedman all had co-starring roles in that miserable ****ing frame.

9. Nasty Nate Posted: April 08, 2008 at 08:04 PM (#2735572)

well the play overshadowed buckner's terrible day at the plate, where he was 0-5 on the day, with runners on base for EVERY at bat, although he did get hit by a pitch in his last PA.

10. Exploring Leftist Conservatism since 2008 (ark..) Posted: April 08, 2008 at 08:36 PM (#2735638)

Loud cheers and a long ovation greeted Buckner,...

Just wonderful.

11. Golfing Great Mitch Cumstein Posted: April 09, 2008 at 09:09 AM (#2736074)

This Buckner redemption angle is a bit overplayed. He came back to play for Boston in 1990 and was greeted with cheers at the home opener. He already was forgiven by the fans before 2004.

12. villageidiom Posted: April 09, 2008 at 04:04 PM (#2736348)

Wonderful day.

From the first base side we could see Dwight Evans standing with uniform shirt and glove. When they started announcing the ceremonial first pitch, they were talking about a key player for Boston in the 1986 regular season - yep, Dewey - and the playoffs - yep, Dewey. Seriously, we were all shocked when it came: "number 6, Bill Buckner!" Holy crap, yeah!

The rest of the ceremony was great, as was the game. Nice to see Matsuzaka pitch himself out of trouble, rather than imploding in an inning.

There was also an appearance by the red-tailed hawk that had nested in Fenway in the offseason. That was interesting, but a little creepy. Ooh, that reminds me - Steven Tyler sang "God Bless America".

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Buckner throws out first pitch as Red Sox hand out bling

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