Yeah, looks like Michael Chavis is for real, so Pedroia’s days playing 2B for the Sox are limited. Hope he stays in the organization in some way, kind of like Veritek.
I think they have to at least mention it, since despite his excellent career it’s the main reason he is as famous as he is. What I object to is when people present it as “Buckner’s error cost the Red Sox the Series.” Not only were others like Schiraldi and Stanley much more responsible for the loss of the game, people forget that the Red Sox wouldn’t have won the game (and the Series) even if Buckner had made the play - the Mets had already tied it up. And the Sox could have won it the next night too, but they blew a three run lead (although in a less dramatic fashion).
I’ve just noticed something very bizarre on the Red Sox organizational chart–they have three assistant GM’s, and an assistant to the GM, but no GM. I am assuming that when Mike Hazen left for AZ, they never replaced him. But that is beyond weird. Four assistants to a person doesn’t exist? Hazen left almost 3 years ago. The Dodgers also have two assistants to a non-existent GM. I guess teams haven’t quite figured out this “president of baseball operations” yet. Maybe they’re too cheap to reprint business cards.
And the error is why people know/care that he died, elevating him in the imagination above other players in the good-but-not-HOF set - when/if, say, Jose Cruz dies, Astros fans and Puerto Rican baseball fans will care, but most even serious baseball fans will be “oh yeah, him” if they hear the news.
Exactly. Buckner was a fine player but probably not one of the 1000 best players in baseball history; had he not let the Wilson grounder through his legs, his death would not have been one tenth as noticed. Bill Madlock, whom I thought of just because his name is also Bill, was a contemporary and competitor of Buckner’s, was vaguely similar, a righthanded contact hitter, and was definitely a better player. He won four batting titles, played brilliantly in a World Series his team won, made three All Star teams and was just a hell of a player, and he even had a great nickname. But when he dies, which God willing won’t be soon, his death will go largely unremarked except in Pittsburgh and maybe the north side. As terrific a player as he was he never had a MOMENT, a highlight that every baseball fan remembers. No Vin Scully call.
So, I mean, if you’re running a news service, exactly how do you explain running the Buckner story as a national story and not mention the error? It’s the very reason you’d put it out front.
Of course, Colibri is right that it is wrong to just flat out say the error cost them the Series; they could still have lost that game. People simplify these things in time, though, because that’s just how memory works. People will swear to you that the Denkinger call in the 1985 World Series would have been the last out, but it wasn’t - Orta was the leadoff batter, and in fact there was never a second out in that inning, and Orta was put out on a lousy bunt anyway and the Royals could have won that game without the call.
Lighthearted MLB news: The worst first pitch ever?
Boy, Bryce Harper really earning that big contract, batting .232 with nine homers and on pace to set a new MLB record for strikeouts.
The other big free agent, Manny Machado, is better, but not on any sort of MVP pace.
Dave Dombrowski is the functioning GM as well as President of Baseball Operations. You’re right, it’s because they didn’t replace Hazen, but he was more a titleholder than an effective executive.