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* The great Bill Buckner was in town yesterday…
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 1:23 pm
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first one to blink loses
Comment by HJohn Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 1:25 pm
I should have knelt down, like this, to be sure I had it, but…wow, that was thirty years ago and I’ll never hear the end of it. On the plus side, I never have to pay for my drinks when I’m in New York.
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 1:31 pm
“Behind the bag!”
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 1:32 pm
“Rich. I played for the Dodgers too. People forget that… “
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 1:33 pm
Tween da wickets.
Comment by Nick Danger Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 1:33 pm
“Yeah, its also called the five hole”
Comment by Nick Danger Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 1:34 pm
“Not bad, Rich, not bad, but you’re no Vin Scully… “
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 1:34 pm
He will never live this down..
http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/6479266/v2968146/greatest-world-series-moments-no-12
Comment by Mouthy Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 1:35 pm
“Ronnie Woo-Woo? He’s protesting right now, I’m just sitting here till he comes back… “
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 1:37 pm
The curse is real!
Fear the Bambino!
Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 1:39 pm
“I’m actually here to sign a couple baseballs and take a picture with a ‘Jason Plummer’, you know him, Rich?”
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 1:39 pm
@Mouthy - I think you mean this
>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-GgbP9C9Zk
Comment by Dave Dahl Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 1:39 pm
How big a check to you need?
Comment by zatoichi Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 1:41 pm
“I’m here, Rich, for a walk-on scene for this HBO show, ‘Dad’s Home State’… ”
As an aside, Billy Buck was my favorite Cub until Sandberg took that spot but growing up, watching Buckner at the plate, (great hitter), lumber around first base, it didn’t get better for me.
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 1:43 pm
Hammerin Hank’s #715 went over the head of Billy Buck playing left field for the Dodgers - he climbed the fence going after it.
I hate how he is always reminded for that one play in ‘86
Comment by Henry Francis Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 1:52 pm
Mine too Willy. He was so tough to strike out. He would just keep fouling off pitch after pitch until he got one he liked. His ankles were so shot by the time he came to the Cubs - it was painful watching him hobble like that.
Comment by Henry Francis Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 1:56 pm
“Rich, I’m here to escort a ‘Bruce Rauner’, part owner of the Red Sox, to the ‘Red Sox Convention’ in Boston. I guess he works here… “
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 1:56 pm
“I hate how he is always reminded for that one play in ‘86″
Bartman has the same problem too..
Comment by Mouthy Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 2:02 pm
“Let me get this straight, Rich, you think we should only cheer for winners, but you’re a White Sox fan?”
Comment by Barton Lorimor Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 2:04 pm
- Henry Francis -,
Great memories. Totally agree about the ankles, painful at times to watch.
“Rich, the last time Bruce Rauner saw me, he called me Pedro Martinez… “
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 2:04 pm
“Rich, if one more person calls me Rick Monday… “
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 2:05 pm
Who the hell is Barton Lorimor?
Comment by VanillaMan Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 2:06 pm
What, Rich, like you’ve never messed up anything at all?
Comment by The One and Only Gerry Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 2:12 pm
big fan, one of the best hitters I’ve ever seen
Comment by Dozer Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 2:12 pm
Who’s Bill Buckner?
Comment by Deep South Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 2:13 pm
“Hey Rich, now you got that ticker in order, hit me a few fungoes. Let’s bring Oscar to shag in case any get by me”.
Comment by A guy Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 2:18 pm
“Rich, I don’t know what happened. This woman walked by me and someone whispered my name to her and she pretended to fall down right in front of me!
She said something then she said she’s suing me.
The police told me to wait here… “
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 2:18 pm
“Rich, tell your governor Roy Hobbs is a fictional character… “
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 2:19 pm
Goldberg said he needs help with his thigh gap
Comment by Rabid Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 2:22 pm
What happens in Boston stays in Boston.
My fielding position in Illinois is 1.000
Comment by A guy Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 2:23 pm
Loved Bill Buckner. One of my favorite players from a misspent childhood watching the Cubs on Channel 9 (and the Southside Hit Men on Channel 44).
High average, line-drive hitter, like Bill Madlock and Al Oliver, a real artist/hitter before the juicers.
Favorite Buckner memory:
Cubs v Expos, ‘81 or ‘82, Wrigley Field.
Buckner pops up, Gary Carter throws off the mask, makes the putout.
The newspapers filled in the gaps the next day on the melee that we saw on TV.
On the way to the dugout, Buckner takes his bat and smashes Carter’s gamer mask on the ground, busting it.
On the tee-vee box, we see a red-a– Carter go back to the dugout and get his backup mask from his bag.
Some bad blood, apparently, from Dodger days.
Top of the next inning, Carter reaches first, Buckner’s spot in the field. He and Buckner are shown jawing at each other.
Next thing you know, fight, and a good one, a real one, progressing up the right field line. Benches and bullpens clear.
After the umps get it under control, one ump (can’t remember who) did something I’ve never seen before or since.
The ump stands between Buckner and Carter, who are both huffing and puffing. The ump is yakking at them both, like he’s Henry Kissinger. It becomes apparent he’s trying to get them to make nice.
After a bit, Carter sticks his hand out, to shake.
Bucky looks at the hand, looks up at Carter, then smacks him right in the puss. The fight is back on.
Best baseball fight ever. Too bad nobody but kids like me, shut-ins and the unemployed saw it, because it was the Cubs and Expos in the early 80s.
But I’m guessing in ‘86, when Carter was sitting in that Mets dugout, he felt pretty good when Buckner’s moment in history occurred.
BTW, if you’ve never seen it, Bucky was a good sport in an episode of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Larry David was kind enough, all those years later, to allow him a chance to redeem himself, even if it was just fiction.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 2:25 pm
A guy named Mookie. Who names their kid Mookie?!
Comment by Anon Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 2:35 pm
.289 lifetime batting average; 174 homeruns; 1208 rbis. Very good career.
Comment by Cook street Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 2:36 pm
- wordslinger - Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 2:25 pm:
I’ve watched literally thousands of Cubs games in my life and I missed that one. Great story. Buckner was a heck of a good hitter with the Cubs. I’m thinking he hit above .300 while there and yes, he could foul off pitch after pitch..
Comment by Mouthy Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 2:39 pm
[Rich in his best Barney Fife voice]: “Yep, I played ball in the minor leagues”.
Buckner: “Really, single A, double A or Triple A?
Rich (sheepishly): “Actually it was little league…”
Comment by Colin O'Scopey Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 2:40 pm
Great stuff - Wordslinger -, can’t get enough baseball talk.
“Caption?”
“I’m a birthday gift for the Governor, Rich, no joke.”
As an aside,
Happy Birthday, Governor.
Best wishes.
OW
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 2:44 pm
Govenor has been low balling the budget I’m here to stop it
Comment by Rabid Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 2:49 pm
“Wait, what?! You telling me Hillary got over $200K to appear for Bruce? I’m get $300 dollars, a picture for ME, of Bruce… and something called a Horseshoe… “
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 2:50 pm
“I was told to wait in the ‘Prop Room’ but the stuffed dogs kept eyeballing me… “
Comment by Oswego Willy Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 2:51 pm
“Hello Mr. Buckner, my name is Mookie.”
Comment by Filmmaker Professor Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 2:58 pm
Wordslinger, you usually say much in a few words. Here you expand, and very grateful for a fine rememberance. Billy Buck wasn’t down for any stinkin’ handshake! HA. Beautiful
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 3:03 pm
Buckner: Dude, you look pretty different without your chicken outfit on.
I was one of those kids watching the Cubs on WGN in the late 70s and early 80s. My dad liked to watch them too (well, watch them lose).
Comment by Earnest Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 3:10 pm
From the 1984 “All-Mustache Team.”
Comment by Keyser Soze Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 3:16 pm
A clean Illinois bill waiting for the governor’s signature
Comment by Rabid Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 3:41 pm
“It coulda been worse. Thank God the Cubs traded me.”
Comment by Mookie Wilson Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 3:56 pm
“Caption contest for me? Dave Kingman, eat your heart out!”
Comment by Wensicia Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 3:57 pm
No Rich I never got a call from the Cardinals and yes I do know they play baseball in October…
Comment by Slippin' Jimmy Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 4:25 pm
“Man, I thought I blew it….”
Comment by PENSIONS ARE OFF LIMITS Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 5:05 pm
Leon Durham gets a pass. Me? Not so much.
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Feb 18, 16 @ 8:13 pm
BB: “who’s this Oswego Willy guy and why does make so many comments?”
Comment by Westward Friday, Feb 19, 16 @ 8:51 am