Having grown up a Mets fan, I remember Buckner very clearly. He was the central figure (or at least a central figure) in one of the iconic moments in Mets history.
It's actually quite a shame that this is the moment that Buckner is remembered for. He was a very good baseball player -- one notch below Hall of Fame caliber. And yet he is remembered for one error in a crucial moment. Worse, popular mythology has made that moment out to be bigger than it was.
First, the game was tied when the play occurred. This was after the Mets had staged an unlikely comeback and scored two runs off the Sox -- which was in no way Buckner's fault. So even if Buckner had fielded the ball cleanly and made the play (which wasn't a sure thing, given Mookie Wilson's speed), ot would have meant the game continued into an 11th inning. Second, it was Game 6. So the Red Sox still had to lose another game in order to blow the World Series. Yes, that play was costly, but it was only one of many things that cost the Sox the Series. The loss was a team effort.
Anyway, RIP Bill Buckner.
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