Thursday, May 30, 2019

The 1980 National League batting champion

In a major-league playing career that ran from 1969 to 1990, he played in 2,517 games.

He totaled 9,397 at bats, scored 1,077 runs, got 2,715 hits (496 were doubles and 49 were triples).

Those 2,715 ranked him 66th on big-league baseball's all-time list.

This player smashed 174 homers and drove in 1,208 runs while batting .289.

In addition, he swiped 183 sacks and just about had as many walks as strikeouts. (He drew 450 bases on balls while whiffing 453 times!)

This star led the NL in two-base hits twice, getting 35 in 1981 (his All-Star campaign)
and 38 a couple of years later.

As a first baseman (he broke in as an outfielder), he led his league in assists four times (1982, 1983, 1985, and 1986); his 1,351 helps at first base got him 19th place on the all-time list.

He played in two World Series. 

Think of all the Baseball Hall of Famers who never got a chance to taste postseason action...let alone play on the team that won the Fall Classic.

And in 1980, when he was with the Chicago Cubs (the team that got him from the squad he broke in with, the Los Angeles Dodgers), he led all National League batters by hitting .324 (to go with his 41 two-baggers, 10 home runs, and 68 RBIs).

That's how I choose to remember Bill Buckner, who passed away three days ago.