Bill Buckner Dies At 69 Following Battle With Dementia

Bill Buckner, a longtime major league player whose unfortunate mishap in the 1986 World Series secured his place in baseball history, died early Monday.

"After battling the disease of Lewy Body Dementia, Bill Buckner passed away early the morning of May 27 surrounded by his family," his family released in a statement. "Bill fought with courage and grit as he did all things in life."

He was 69.

Buckner played in the major league for 22 seasons, was an All-Star once and won a batting title in 1980. However, it was the play he made in the 1986 World Series that forever lived on in Red Sox infamy.

On October 25, 1986, in the 10th inning of Game 6 of the World Series against the Mets, tied 5-5 with Buckner covering first, Mookie Wilson took to the plate and bounced a ball down the first-base line.

Buckner went down to snag the ball and watched it roll right between his legs and into right field. Ray Knight then scored giving the Mets a 6-5 win.

Although his Red Sox teammates said that Buckner wasn't to blame, some fans did not see it the same way.

"When that ball went through Bill Buckner's legs, hundreds of thousands of people did not just view that as an error, they viewed that as something he had done to them personally," said Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan.

That miss ended up defining Buckner's career and followed him into retirement.

While it took many years, Buckner eventually returned to Fenway Park for the Red Sox's 2008 home opener and threw the first pitch.

When asked why he returned to Fenway, Buckner told media, "I really had to forgive, 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."

Buckner grew up in Napa, California and began his big league career at 19-years-old with the Dodgers and remained on the team for eight seasons.

In his 22-year career, Buckner played either first base or the outfield for five teams, including the Red Sox twice.

Following his major league career, Buckner continued in the baseball field as a coach, and as a manager of a local independent league.

Buckner is survived by his wife, Jody, and three children, Brittany, Christen and Bobby.

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