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William Buckner Maggie Lin

William Joseph Buckner, born on December 14, 1949, in Vallejo, California, was a Major League player. At 19 years old, he played his first major league game with the ; and his last game in 1990 with the Red Sox. He also won the batting title in 1980 with the Chicago Cubs, and was an All-Star in 1981. He was an excellent baseball player, because he hardly made errors. However, he was always blamed for one he made in the 1986 ; and harassed relentlessly fans.

In of the , Buckner let a ground ball by of the Mets skitter between his legs. The Boston Red Sox had lost their lead in the game. It was the bottom of the tenth , two outs, a runner on second, and the score tied. Wilson was at the plate. He hit a routine ground ball to Buckner at first base. The ball rolled under Buckner’s glove, through his legs and into right field. It let the Mets score. Nevertheless, the Mets did not really win the series with this game. They won it in Game 7 after two nights, but it was often forgotten.

Even if Buckner had caught the ball, he still would have not prevented Wilson from reaching first base, because he was a very fast runner. In addition, Buckner had lost a part of his mobility because of his ankle injuries. It is possible that Wilson would have beaten Buckner to first base, and it would have extended the inning.

Although many factors can be found as to why the Red Sox lost the 1986 World Series, Buckner was still chosen as a scapegoat. After this infamous error, Buckner became a target of Red Sox fans, and they always bothered Buckner and his family. In my opinion, the fans could not understand the real reason why their favorite team lost, and felt frustrated and angry. They needed someone to be the target. Buckner was the most convenient one, because he made one notable mistake in this game. Finally, fans tired of the persecution, and Buckner moved his family to Boise, Idaho.