Bill Buckner's tenth-inning error[1] in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series with Buckner's Boston Red Sox against the New York Mets at Shea Stadium in Flushing, Queens, New York on October 25, 1986 remains one of the most memorable plays in baseball history; it was long considered part of a curse on the Red Sox that kept them from winning the World Series,[2][3] and led to years of fan anger and public mockery that Buckner handled graciously before being embraced by Red Sox fans again after their 2004 World Series victory.
The play is often known as the "Buckner play" and is blamed on the first baseman, but Mookie Wilson's smart at-bat and speed also affected the course of events.[4] (If Buckner had made that play and Wilson had been safe, Howard Johnson would have been the next batter with runners on first and third. If Wilson had been put out by Buckner, the game would have gone into an 11th inning.)
- ^ Brown, Garry (30 October 2016). "Don't judge Bill Buckner so harshly for '86 World Series". Mass Live. Archived from the original on 25 July 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
- ^ Smith, Ron; Foreword by Joe Morgan (1999). "The Sporting News Selects Baseball's 25 Greatest Moments, #8 E-3". The Sporting News. Archived from the original on February 6, 2007.
- ^ Vecsey, George (October 28, 1986). "Babe Ruth Curse Strikes Again". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 13, 2019. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
- ^ Szanton, Andrew (2023-05-11). "Bill Buckner: Did His Booted Ground Ball Cost the Red Sox a World Series?". Medium. Retrieved 2023-11-06.