It's the 20th anniversary of "oops...there it goes"...
A very good ballplayer until this date in 1986 and then it happened...the bleeder that went through the legs of Bill Buckner who would become infamous forever more. When the Mets' Mookie Wilson extended Game 6 of the World Series between the Mets and Red Sox by hitting the ball between Buckner's legs, about the only thing Billy Bucks could ever run for in Boston is the exit and he didn't miss that...
Buckner now resides in Boise, Idaho where he's invested in real estate. One of the housing subdivisions he developed is named Fenway Park, showing that he has a sense of history and humor. This past June, The Red Sox had a reunion of 1986 players during a game at Fenway Park and although Buckner "couldn't" return, fans cheered and applauded when his name was shown on the centerfield video screen. As recently as this month Buckner and Mookie Wilson got together to sign photos of the infamous play. The best therapy is what Bobby Thomson and Ralph Branca, playoff hero and goat, went through, becoming friends and making appearances together. Apparently that's what Buckner and Wilson have in mind. Let's hope so...
The aftermath of Game 6 brought a World Championship to Flushing when the Mets closed out the 1986 World Series with a victory in Game 7. A replay of "the play" voiced by Vin Scully is just a click away. If you root for the Mets, enjoy. If you're a Red Sox fan, just remember redemption would come in 2004: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C5-k_2ZvZ4
Ten Timeline Memories...
- [1854] The "Charge of the Light Brigade" takes place during the Crimean War as an English brigade of more than 600, facing hopeless odds, charge the Russian army in the Battle of Balaclava and suffer heavy losses (duh)...
- [1962] In one of the most dynamic speechs of all-time, Adlai Stevenson, addressing the U.N. demands that Russian ambassador Zorin explain the presence of missiles in Cuba, saying "I am prepared to wait for my answer until hell freezes over"...
- [1964] Viking Jim Marshall, a very good player without a keen sense of direction, runs 66 yards in the wrong direction after picking up a fumble and winds up with a safety (2 points for the opponent) for his efforts...
- [1981] In one of the more bizarre George Steinbrenner sagas, "The Boss" claims that he broke his hand in an elevator fight in L.A. during the 1981 World Series (the Yankees left New York with a 2-0 game advantage but lose the next 4 games, "handing" the series to the Dodgers)...
- [1990] Evander Holyfield KOs Buster Douglas for the heavyweight title (Douglas held the title for about 5 minutes)...
- [1990] The New York Daily News goes on strike (it will last until March, 1991)...
- [1994] Susan Smith claims that a carjacker drove off with her 2 sons but later confesses to drowning them. She will be convicted of murder and sentenced to life which she continues to serve...
- [1996] Joe Torre's brother Frank receives a heart transplant during the 1996 World Series (Frank, now 75 is doing well these days)...
- [2003] The Marlins' Josh Beckett pitches Florida to the World Series Championship with a 2-0 shutout of the Yankees (it's the Marlins' second title in 7 seasons)...
- [2003] Florida State coach Bobby Bowden becomes the winningest coach in major college football history with his 339th victory as the Seminoles beat Wake Forest 48-24 (Bowden's current record: 362-109-4)...
"Happy Trails": 1991] Rock promoter Bill Graham dies in a helicopter crash at 60...1992] Singer/songwriter Roger Miller is a victim of cancer at 56...1993] Horror film actor Vincent Price (a heavy smoker) dies of lung cancer at 82...1999] Golf pro Payne Stewart and 5 others die in a Learjet crash in South Dakota. Stewart was 42...
#1 on this date: 1961] "Runaround Sue" - Dion...1974] "Then Came You" - Dionne Warwick/Spinners...1983] "Islands in the Stream" - Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton...
"Having My Baby": 1968] Yoko Ono announces that she's carrying John Lennon's child (that would be Sean)...
Released on this date: 1965] "Get Off Of My Cloud" - Rolling Stones...
[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in the timeline]...
Commentary...
I'm still a little weary from my trip to New Zealand to attend my daughter Lynn's wedding to Lindsay Brough. Congratulations and a life of love and happiness to Lynn and Lindsay. They got married on a boat in Wellington Harbor and it was one of the highlights of my life. The wedding was wonderful and I've never met such warm and hospitable people. The Kiwi's are something special. A couple of footnotes to the wedding follow...
The morning I left, Jim Kerr of Q104 in New York interviewed me on the air on his morning show to ask questions about the wedding, even getting down to details on who would pay for the wedding in NZ and the follow-up version of the ceremony in New York in May. The answers will not be revealed in this blog but I wanted to thank my friend Jim for the interview. On a connecting flight back to New York in Los Angeles I ran into Dan Ingram and his wife Maureen Donnelly and we talked radio for what seemed like days before boarding the flight. It was good to see you Big Dan and thanks for making the time fly by...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Pedro Martinez (35, hmmm, okay), Olympic hockey hero Mike Eruzione (52), Celtic great Dave Cowens (58), Helen Reddy (64), Bobby Knight (66), Marion Ross (78) and Giant hero Bobby Thomson (83)...
"Happy Trails"...
I'm saddened to say that Mike Phillips lost his battle to pancreatic cancer. A 40-year radio pro, Mike's credits include VP of Programming of the NBC-FM Radio Group, disc jockey at KISN, KJR, KNBR, KFRC, KIOI, KOIT. Mike was the first PD of KYUU and his last disc jockey stint was an 11-year run at KRTH. Mike and I had been corresponding and he was interested in reading this blog which I sent him every day. I hope he got some enjoyment from it while he was going through the private hell he went through. R.I.P. Mike Phillips...
Timeline Countdown: 67 days until 2007, 74 days until the NFL playoffs and 102 days until the Super Bowl...
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