MLB legend Bill Buckner's son was once heckled by a classmate about Boston Red Sox 1986 World Series loss
Call it unfortunate, but Bill Buckner's 10th-inning gaffe in the 1986 World Series final will probably remain one of the most memorable plays in baseball history. The incident was long considered part of a curse on the Red Sox that hindered them from capturing the World Series.
On this day in 1986, Bill Buckner's error in Game 6 of the World Series gave the Mets a second chance.
The rest is history 🍿 https://t.co/HGnuRHV5KF
"On this day in 1986, Bill Buckner's error in Game 6 of the World Series gave the Mets a second chance. The rest is history" - 30 for 30, Twitter
The aftermath, though, was a whole lot worse. The flack and vile abuse he received was unbelievable. His son got bullied in school for his mistake.
“Your daddy had to quit baseball because he missed the ball,” a classmate once told one of his children.
Buckner’s wife, Jody, who was interviewed by ESPN's Jeremy Schaap, told them that their son even came home and asked, “Daddy, what did he mean?”
Bucker even moved from Boston to Boise post that incident. These instances followed him around all his life. Unfortunately, he could never escape those cursed 20 seconds, the 20 seconds that unbelievably changed the course of his life.
To his immense credit, however, Bucker dealt with all the bitterness with style and grace. He lived a happy life and changed career paths after retiring, becoming a real estate developer in Idaho.
Bucker was vindicated of sorts after the Boston Red Sox finally won the World Series in 2004. That's the least the former first baseman deserved, after years of injustice.
Bill Buckner was the NL batting champion in 1980
Bill Buckner spent 21 long seasons in the league, most notably with the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Boston Red Sox. He is one of 31 players to have played in four different decades.
Buckner's best years were with the Cubs, where he was the NL batting champion in 1980 and was selected to his first and only MLB All-Star team the following year. The Chicago Cubs felicitated Bucker and added him to their Hall of Fame.
Bucker passed away on May 27, 2019, at the age of 69 after a fight against Lewy body dementia.
MLB legend Bill Buckner dies at age 69 from dementia: report yhoo.it/2EA1jkc https://t.co/1EBYOEkyO3
"MLB legend Bill Buckner dies at age 69 from dementia: report https://yhoo.it/2EA1jkc" - Yahoo, Twitter
He will forever be remembered for being a humble warrior. One mistake does not change what was otherwise a stellar career.