Bill Buckner, former World Series goat and All-Star, dies at 69

Bill Buckner, who spent parts of 22 seasons playing in Major League Baseball, died Monday in Boise, Idaho, his family said in a statement.

Though he played for a long time and was voted an All-Star, Buckner is best known for an error in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. Buckner, the Red Sox first baseman, let a slow rolling ball from Mookie Wilson slide under his legs, allowing Ray Knight to score and win the game for the Mets. New York went on to win Game 7 and the Red Sox went another 18 years before they won a World Series title.

Buckner died early Monday, the family said in a statement. He died after a long battle with Lewy body dementia, Buckner’s family said in a statement. The disease causes Alzheimer’s-like symptoms along with movement and other problems.

“Bill fought with courage and grit as he did all things in life,” his family said.

Buckner won an NL batting title, was an All-Star and got 2,715 hits in a 22-year career. He was long considered a gritty player, a gamer who would be welcome on any team. A reliable fielder, too.

Though he was reviled by Red Sox fans in the aftermath of the World Series, Bill Buckner routinely showed up to team events and spoke openly about the pain caused by his error and the reaction of fans and the media. In 2008, after the Red Sox won the 2007 World Series, Buckner threw out the first pitch at Boston’s home opener.

Buckner drew loud cheers as he walked from the Green Monster in left field to the mound, and made his ceremonial toss to former teammate Dwight Evans. Buckner said the moment was “probably about as emotional as it could get.”

“I really had to forgive,” he said later that day, “not the fans of Boston per se, but I would have to say, in my heart, I had to forgive the media for what they put me and my family through. So I’ve done that. I’m over that. And I’m just happy that I just try to think of the positive. The happy things.”

“You can look at that Series and point fingers in a whole bunch of different directions,” Buckner said. “We did the best we could to win there and it just didn’t happen and I didn’t feel like I deserved” so much blame.

He hit .289 and had 2,715 hits in his 22 seasons that also included stints with the Dodgers, Cubs, Angels and Royals.

Buckner lived in Boise, Idaho, after he finished playing. He was the hitting coach for the Chicago Cubs’ minor league affiliate in Boise in 2012-13, owned three car dealerships and several commercial properties in Idaho.

Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts called Buckner a “great ballplayer and beloved member of the Cubs family.”

Buckner also became friendly with Wilson, who hit that grounder. While Buckner was long criticized for the error, many in baseball contend that even if the ball had been handled cleanly, the speedy Wilson would have beaten it anyway.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

This story was originally published May 27, 2019 at 11:06 AM.