Ouch!
When you die, imagine your obituary leading with your worst moment.
Enter Bill Buckner, the 22-year major-leaguer who succumbed Monday to a long battle with Lewy body dementia.
This was the opening paragraph from The Associated Press:
BOSTON — Bill Buckner, a star hitter who became known for making one of the most infamous plays in major league history, died Monday. He was 69.
Suffice it to say that the infamous play (as baseball fans know) was not a positive one.
Similarly, the Washington Post got right to the (unfortunate) point:
Former major league first baseman and outfielder Bill Buckner, who won a batting title with the Chicago Cubs in 1980 but was best remembered for the error he committed in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series while playing for the Boston Red Sox, died Monday at 69 after battling dementia.
And this was ESPN’s simple lede:
Bill Buckner, the longtime major leaguer whose error in the 1986 World Series for years lived in Red Sox infamy, died Monday. He was 69.
Is it fair that Buckner’s entire career is boiled down to one error in so many news reports? Nope, says Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy, who wrote:
Bill Buckner had more big league hits than either Joe DiMaggio or Ted Williams. He was an All-Star and won a batting title. Playing on ankles that had to be iced almost round the clock, he knocked in 102 runs for the pennant-winning Red Sox in 1986.
He played 22 seasons in the majors and twice made it to the World Series. He was a good teammate and a solid family man. He aged better than most retired athletes and always looked like he could still give you a couple of innings when he’d return to Fenway Park tanned and fit.
But for the final 33 years of his life, Buckner was best known as the guy who missed the ground ball. For many fans and media members, it defined him. And it was unfair.
So, what’s the religion angle in all this, given that this is GetReligion, not GetSports?
Well, I’m getting to that:
In 2015, the Deseret News in Salt Lake City interviewed Buckner about his 1986 error and how he overcame it. Faith, he told the newspaper, was a big part of it:
SALT LAKE CITY — As a man of faith, Bill Buckner has to wonder if this was all part of a plan.
If so, it was plenty mysterious.
Buckner’s 10th-inning flub in the 1986 World Series will forever rank him among sports’ epic foul-ups, along with the likes of “Wrong Way” Riegel, Garo Yepremian and Chris Webber. The Boston Red Sox were one strike away from their first World Series title in 68 years. New York scored the winning run when a Mookie Wilson grounder skipped through Buckner’s legs and the Mets went on to win the Series.
But since then, the 65-year-old Buckner says he has had people thank him for his inspiration, claiming he taught them about overcoming obstacles. He now lives in Boise, where he relocated after fleeing the rage in Boston. Fan rage that included death threats. Media rage. His own rage at being singled out.
“I was a little bitter over it,” Buckner said in a Monday phone interview. “I didn’t think I deserved it, so…”
So he endured.
“I’m a person of faith, so there’s a lot there. I’ve had a lot of people call me and thank me for giving them directions to make it through — and that’s a good thing.”
In news coverage of Buckner’s death, his faith makes a cameo appearance — mainly because of the statement that his wife gave confirming his passing.
From the Post:
ESPN reporter Jeremy Schaap confirmed the news after speaking with Buckner’s wife, Jody, who issued the following statement: “After battling the disease of Lewy Body Dementia, Bill Buckner passed away early the morning of May 27th surrounded by his family. Bill fought with courage and grit as he did all things in life. Our hearts are broken but we are at peace knowing he is in the arms of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
But my reading and Googling didn’t turn up much about the specific nature of Buckner’s religious affiliation, beyond the general reference to his Christianity.
The Deseret News story from a few years ago was vague, except for referring to his “faith.”
The Idaho Statesman, in the state where Buckner lived, quoted Boise State baseball coach Gary Van Tol, who was the head coach when Buckner was on staff in 2013.
Van Tol said:
A devoted Christian, his strong faith was always present. He’s his now with his Savior and no doubt, already in the batting cage building someone’s swing. Rest in Peace my friend. I was blessed to have known you.
I’d love to know more. For example, did Buckner have a church home? Did he attend worship regularly? If you see any coverage that answers such questions, by all means, comment below or tweet us at @GetReligion.