Former Boston Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner died on Monday at age 69 after a battle with Lewy Body Dementia. In the aftermath of his death, former New York Mets centerfielder Mookie Wilson took some time to honor Buckner in an official statement he released.
“I was saddened to hear about Bill’s death," Wilson said, per Mike Vacarro of The New York Post. "We had developed a friendship that lasted well over 30 years. I felt badly for some of the things he went through. Bill was a great, great baseball player whose legacy should not be defined by one play.”
Of course, the one play that Wilson is referencing is the grounder that dribbled through Buckner's legs during the 1986 World Series. Wilson hit the fateful ball that went by Buckner's and helped lead the Mets to a come-from-behind to win a series they had trailed 3-2.
As Wilson said, that play doesn't define Buckner's career. Buckner played 22 seasons with a .289 average, 174 homers, and one appearance in the All-Star Game. But at times, his solid performance was overshadowed by the one mishap, although it shouldn't have been.
Buckner was a good sport about the mistake over the course of the years. Ultimately, Buckner's unwarranted villain status ended in 2004 after the Red Sox won the World Series. That healed a long-open wound in the Boston baseball community and brought about a new appreciation for Buckner. He actually threw out the first pitch for the team's home opener after they took home the title in 2007.
This was a decent gesture by Wilson to honor Buckner and remind everyone just how good of a player Buckner was. Hopefully, his overall legacy will continue to outshine the one blunder.
Boston Red Sox
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