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.
A couple of days ago, a coworker friend of mine was passing out copies of the bracket for the 2013 NCAA Division 1 men's basketball tournament to other crew members.
When I got home this past Tuesday night (as this year's tourney started out with two of four first-round games), I did something I'd never, ever done before:
I actually filled out the bracket sheet.
So, right now, with the second-round contests starting later on today, I'd like to offer my predictions on how what could turn out to be one hell of a men's D-1 tournament could shape up. (Yeah...I know four games already are on the books!)
FIRST ROUND: North Carolina A&T over Liberty
St. Mary's over Middle Tennessee State
Boise State over La Salle
James Madison over LIU-Brooklyn
SECOND ROUND: Midwest- Louisville over North Carolina A&T
Missouri over Colorado State
Oregon over Oklahoma State
St. Louis over New Mexico State
Memphis over St. Mary's
Michigan State over Valparaiso
Creighton over Cincinnati
Duke over Albany
SECOND ROUND: West- Gonzaga over Southern
Wichita State over Pittsburgh
Wisconsin over Mississippi
Kansas State over Boise State
Arizona over Belmont
New Mexico over Harvard
Iowa State over Notre Dame
Ohio State over Iona
SECOND ROUND: South- Kansas over Western Kentucky
North Carolina over Villanova
Virginia Commonwealth over Akron
Michigan over South Dakota State
UCLA over Minnesota
Northwestern State over Florida (!)
San Diego State over Oklahoma
Georgetown over Florida Gulf Coast
SECOND ROUND: East- Indiana over James Madison
North Carolina State over Temple
UNLV over California
Syracuse over Montana
Butler over Bucknell
Marquette over Davidson
Colorado over Illinois
Miami (FL) over Pacific
THIRD ROUND: Midwest- Louisville over Missouri
St. Louis over Oregon
Michigan State over Memphis
Duke over Creighton
THIRD ROUND: West- Gonzaga over Wichita State
Kansas State over Wisconsin
Arizona over New Mexico
Ohio State over Iowa State
THIRD ROUND: South- Kansas over North Carolina
Virginia Commonwealth over Michigan
UCLA over Northwestern State
Georgetown over San Diego State
THIRD ROUND: East- Indiana over North Carolina State
Syracuse over UNLV
Butler over Marquette
Miami (FL) over Colorado
REGIONAL SEMIFINALS: Midwest- Louisville over St. Louis
Duke over Michigan State
West- Gonzaga over Kansas State
Ohio State over Arizona
South- Virginia Commonwealth over Kansas
Georgetown over UCLA
East- Indiana over Syracuse
Butler over Miami (FL)
REGIONAL FINALS: Louisville over Duke
Ohio State over Gonzaga
Virginia Commonwealth over Georgetown
Butler over Indiana
NATIONAL SEMIFINALS: Louisville over Ohio State
Butler over Virginia Commonwealth
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Louisville over Butler
If you're one of the millions of Americans who filled out a bracket this week, how does yours look? Do you think Rick Pitino's Cardinals are going to cut down the nets at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GA on 4-8-2013?
Let me know what YOU picked.
When I come back, I'm going to show you how I think this year's NCAA Division 1 women's basketball tourney will end up. Stay tuned!
