Billy Buck Turns 62 Today

Bobby Valentine reportedly wants him as a coach. Someone in the NOG says no (three guesses who that might be). But William Joseph Buckner should be part of the Red Sox again. Buckner played 22 years in the Major Leagues—five of them with the Carmine Hose. That's 23% of his playing career. In his Boston years, he hit .279 with 48 HRs and 324 RBIs (he hit .289 over his entire career). And, except for one play, he was a rock solid defender at first base. We're not going to get into the whys and wherefores of 1986—suffice it to say that Game 6 was already tied when "it" occurred. You had to know this guy was special when, as a Dodger, he leaped high above the left-field fence to try and rob Hank Aaron of his 715th record-breaking home run. I had an opportunity to ask him about that play, and he deadpanned, "I was just looking for a souvenir". Priceless. As Billy Buck turns 62, we should all pause to remember what a great player he was for so many years. (Photo: Courtesy of the BoSox Club)