Red Sox icon Bill Buckner, a Kansas City Royal for parts of two seasons, dies at 69

Bill Buckner, briefly a Kansas City Royal but better known for an all-time World Series gaffe with the Boston Red Sox, has died at 69.

His family said in a statement that Buckner died early Monday morning in Vallejo, California, of Lewy Body Dementia.

A 1981 All-Star first baseman and 1980 National League batting champion, Buckner became synonymous with an error he committed at the end of Game 6 of the 1986 World Series against the New York Mets.

Buckner’s Red Sox were tied with the Mets in the 10th inning at Shea Stadium when he failed to corral a softly hit liner by New York’s Mookie Wilson. The ball rolled through Buckner’s legs and the Mets won the game, knotting the Series at three games apiece. New York won Game 7 two days later.

The misplay haunted New Englanders for years, but Buckner seemed to earn their forgiveness over time as the long-snakebit club buried “The Curse of The Bambino” and returned to its ways of winning championships.

“My thought after we lost the sixth game (was that) we lost momentum, things weren’t looking good,” Buckner said in a 2016 interview. “But when I was walking off the field, my first thought was, ‘I get to play in the seventh game of the World Series. How cool is that?’”

Buckner had been honored in various appearances at Fenway Park in recent years, even throwing out the first pitch for Boston’s 2008 home opener after the Red Sox won the 2007 World Series. He played for the Red Sox from 1984 to 1987, and again, briefly, in 1990 before retiring.

Between those two stints in Boston, Buckner played for manager John Wathan’s Royals in 1988 and 1989. He appeared in 89 games with KC in 1988 after being released by the then-California Angels at age 38, batting .256. He appeared in 79 games with the Royals in 1989, hitting .216.

He hit .289 in his 22-year career, recording 2,715 hits. He also played for the L.A. Dodgers and Chicago Cubs.

In a tweet Monday, ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap shared this from Buckner’s widow, Jody: “Bill fought with courage and grit as he did all things in life. Our hearts are broken but we are at peace knowing he is in the arms of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Former Red Sox and Mets manager Bobby Valentine, drafted with Buckner in 1968 by the Dodgers, expressed sadness in a Monday tweet about the death of his friend.

“As I clear my head and hold back the tears I know I will always remember Billy Buck as a great hitter and a better friend,” Valentine wrote. “He deserved better. Thank God for his family. I’ll miss u Buck!”

Even Wilson, the man whose dribbler went through Buckner’s wickets those many years ago, expressed sorrow at his passing Monday, saying his long career should not be defined by a single play.

This story was originally published May 27, 2019 at 2:34 PM.