Comments on: Billy Buckner: Finding Forgiveness at Fenway

By: redX

redX — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 17:32:03 +0000

Prouder of that than when they won the 2007 crown.

Many in Boston have long forgiven Bucker, but this was the overall forgivness in Red Sox lore.

…many fans know it was MacNamanra’s “fault” for putting Bucker out there so he could be on the field “when they won”. The poor guy was limping on toothpicks for legs between icing them down with huge bags of ice. If the guy was on steriods for his recovery it never would have happened. There is also of course the wild pitch that let in the tying run amoung other things.

By: pluege

pluege — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 17:10:02 +0000

its a pretty sad reflection on Red Sox fans that it took 20 years and 2 world series to get over it. There are many turning points and mistakes in EVERY baseball game. To blame any loss on any one event is just ignorant.
.

By: ekppp

ekppp — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 16:48:30 +0000

No one with baseball savvy could blame Bill Buckner for that loss, and I say that as a 39 year-old Red Sox fan. The Sox were up three to start the inning; the error let the fourth run score. The play, though, came to symbolize the defeat. For my part, I had a mental block, and couldn’t remember Buckner’s name without a lot of work for something like five years.

There was an ESPN special on catchers in ‘92, where they had Rich Gedman on, and he admitted to a lapse in concentration, wherein he forgot if he had called an inside or outside pitch, set up wrong, and let the ball go by in that fateful inning. There’s your true goat.

By: dosido

dosido — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 16:47:05 +0000

This is a beautiful story. Thanks Scarecrow.

I remember watching this game very vividly. I was flat on my back with herniated disk, lying directly on the floor of my family’s den. I was to be married in a week or two and the only thing that I could do was watch the World Series. My fiance had just returned from a year of post grad school at BU. We had both “adopted” the Red Sox and still love ‘em. Pros make the sport look easy and this unfortunate moment reminds us of just how much pressure and physical toll there is in any sport at this level.

To be a Giants fan and a Red Sox fan at that time was to embrace heartbreak. You could only go up from there!

I’m glad Billy Buchner stayed strong enough to see this day. Others, sadly, were not.

By: CalGeorge

CalGeorge — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 14:53:35 +0000

Good for the fans of Fenway.

Reconciliation at last.

By: Knut

Knut — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 14:14:52 +0000

Up here in Montreal people are getting spring Grey Cup Fever. It’s been a hard winter, and the snow piles are still 6 to 8 feet deep in the shadows, but the sun’s shining and we are playing the Bruins tomorrow night in the first game of the play-offs.

There’s a spring in everyone’s step. I haven’t seen this much hockey enthusiasm since the early 70’s. Everyone is looking for an excuse to celebrate.

Go Habs!

By: masaccio

masaccio — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 14:12:41 +0000

I grew up watching the Cubs, saw my first game in 1958 or so, and was a faithful Jack Brickhouse fan. I can still sing the Hamms’ Beer commercial. Alas, I no longer find any pleasure in the game. Too many years of losing does that to some people.

By: RevDeb

RevDeb — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 14:03:59 +0000

I’m with Raven in that I’ve been a Cubs fan since I was 10. Buckner played probably his best years in Cubbie Blue. He was a really hard worker who ran for everything and played his heart out. I hurt for him when that happened in Boston.

It’s good to see that there is redemption even for him.

(that doesn’t mean there is any for W. or Darth & Co. IMO they are just evil)

By: Scarecrow

Scarecrow — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 13:55:03 +0000

If you check the link with the stats, you’ll see he didn’t strike out a lot.

By: MarkC

MarkC — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 13:30:45 +0000

Wow! Saw the video on Youtube. Very moving. Buckner was an incredible hitter, had a great swing and never lost concentration. For one play to sour people on him was just so very unfortunate. This is a great redemption narrative. Americans can be grownups, despite what the media assumes.