No CC yesterday, even though it was an off-day, so we’ll do one today.
Forgive and forget: Billy Buck gets his day
I guess the Red Sox’s two World Series rings in the past four years made it easier to forgive poor Bill Buckner.
For those of you who may not know, Bucker was the Red Sox first baseman who famously – or infamously – was blamed for single-handedly losing the 1986 World Series for the Sox. With two out in the bottom of the 10th inning of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, Mets outfielder Mookie Wilson hit a routine ground ball to first. Bucker should have fielded the ball cleanly and made the out, giving the Red Sox their first World Series Championship since 1918, but the ball rolled under Bucker’s glove into shallow right field. Ray Knight scored the winning run for the Mets on the play, and the Red Sox would go on to lose Series in seven games.
Buckner, who was an outstanding first baseman for the Cubs for the better part of seven seasons between 1977 and 1984, threw out the first pitch Tuesday at Fenway Park (right) as the Crimson Hose opened their home season against the Tigers. (The Red Sox would go on to drop the Tigers 5-0, extending the misery of the Tigers, a team that was the odds-on favorite to win the World Series just two weeks ago.) Bucker, who was on the ballot for league MVP in 1978 and 1980-82, was named to 1982 All-Star team as a Cub. I think I speak for everyone at CS when I say: WAY TO GO BILL! It’s nice to see him get a second chance. I never thought that one bad play should have marred an otherwise impressive career anyways.
If the Cubs (knock-on-wood, fingers crossed) can win the Series in the near-future, does that mean infamous Cubs fan Steve Bartman will throw out the first pitch at Opening Day the year after they win?
(Image courtesy of Chicago Tribune/Charles Krupa/AP/April 8, 2008)
Dude man, I want it more!
Former Cubs manager, Dusty “Dude Man” Baker (who has been so nicknamed because that was his favorite phrase when he was the Cubs skipper), who is in his first year managing the division-rival Reds (Baker spent some time as a commentator at ESPN following his time with the Cubs; I can’t imagine they were thrilled about his vocabulary or linguistic ability) said he wanted one more shot with the Cubs, but the team wouldn’t give it to him. Baker, who was fired following a dismal 2006 season, told “there were some circumstances that were way out of my control at the end.” I wonder if the circumstances he was referring to was the fact that his black and Latin players didn’t preform well until the weather warmed up, as he contended (to a wave of controversy), while managing the Cubs.
Dude man, get over it!
Please stand by
Seems that we at CubbySwagger aren’t the only ones experiencing technical difficulties of late. On Monday’s WGN-TV broadcast, there were some glaring technical miscues -perhaps to match the pitching and defensive mistakes on the field- during the broadcast:
- The audio during the pregame segments, was spotty at best;
- There was entirely no audio for about 42 minutes during the third and fourth innings;
- A shot from the CW show “Gossip Girl” replaced the live at-bat of Doug Mientkiewicz, for about one second.
In related news, I think the CS staff has a new nickname for Mientkiewicz.
(Image courtesy of http://www.wxyc.org/blog/uploaded_images/please_stand_by.jpg)
April 10, 2008 at 4:37 pm
[...] As we told you yesterday, the Red Sox have seem to forgiven Bill Buckner for his blunder in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, and “Mr. Cub” Ernie Banks says maybe it’s time the Cubs do the same for embattled former Cub, Sammy Sosa. [...]