By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
OCT. 10, 2023 | Trivia question today especially for Boston Red Sox fans: besides being famous for allowing a ground ball through his legs in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series against the New York Mets in Shea Stadium, what other major baseball feat is Bill Buckner associated with? A hint: it has to do with Atlanta.
Diehard Bosox baseball fans moaned Buckner’s boner, saying it was another Curse of the Bambino, referring to the Red Sox owner Harry Frazee in 1919 trading Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees. Ever since, the Red Sox, no matter how good their record, had never previously won a World Series, because of this Curse, until 2004.
Bill Buckner played 21 seasons in the major leagues. He had 2,715 hits, more than Ted Williams or Mickey Mantle. He had more runs batted in (1,208) than Hack Wilson or George Sisler. His lifetime batting average was .289. Yet in his obituary in the Sporting News read: “…missed a grounder in the Series.”
The answer: Buckner was the player for the Los Angeles Dodgers in left field in 1974 when Hank Aaron hit home run number 715, watching Aaron’s hit fly over his head into the Braves’ bullpen. As sports writer Dan Shaughnessy wrote: “We won’t try to establish that Ruth cursed Buckner for not catching Aaron’s record breaker. It’s just interesting that Brucker was there, just as he was there when the Sox suffered the worst of their tragic moments.”
Jackie Bradford of Duluth writes: “Several have expressed an interest in my grandson’s schedule at Northwestern. Blake Preston, my oldest grandson, is on Northwestern’s men’s basketball team. He is a graduate transfer from Liberty University. This is his last varsity year.”
Blake’s parents are Renee and Ryan Preston of Charlotte, N.C. Blake follows his grandfather Jackie in height, being 6 foot 10 inches tall. He played high school ball at Charlotte Christian school. Jackie says his grandson wants to play pro basketball overseas for a couple of years. He is married to a volleyball player at Liberty and they want to travel abroad while young. “The late Tom Cape of Norcross helped his dad get to Charlotte and get started in business. I was life- coaching Tom’s son, John, in basketball and he returned the favor with Ryan.”
More baseball: Minor League Baseball has announced today the Triple-A All-Star teams for 2023. In a vote of league managers, Gwinnett Stripers right-hander Allan Winans was selected as one of four pitchers of the International League All-Star team.
The 28-year-old Winans was 9-4 with a league-best 2.85 ERA in 23 games (17 starts) during his second season with the Stripers, becoming the third pitcher in Gwinnett history to win an International League ERA title (joining Bryse Wilson in 2021). He is the 13th player in Gwinnett history to be selected to an IL Postseason All-Star Team overall.
Is this baseball? Gwinnett has been announced as a stop next year for the “World Tour” of the Savannah Bananas, the entertainment model that is a version of baseball as it has never been played before. The Bananas will have three dates at Coolray Field in Lawrenceville, on March 22, 23, 24, 2024. This zany way to use baseball as entertainment will probably draw many fans, as the Bananas usually sell out the capacity of stadiums, so if you want tickets, buy them now.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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