Deadspin
Today the Boston Red Sox opened up Fenway Park to begin an afternoon of self-congratulatory ring ceremonies and opening day festivities. Who would throw out the first pitch, though, was, kept secret until a couple hours before game time when the rumors started to appear online that it would be ... Bill Buckner. It's an odd moment; Buckner half-heartedly strolls out to the pitcher's mound, pulling his hands in and out of his pockets, a little unsure of exactly how he's supposed to react in this situation.
I guess it's not really the appropriate time where you sprint out to the mound, but dude, honestly, he's walking out there like he just let the ball go threw his legs again. Then again ... that is the only reason he's out there. So, in reality, he has to make that long fucking walk again (longer even) to get publicly, figuratively "forgiven" for something that wasn't even his fault in the first place. This almost seems like a cruel joke.
And also, it's not like this guy has been in a nuthouse for the past 22 years, stabbing a Bruce Hurst voodoo doll made out of toenails. Remember — he's been back to Fenway since the whole Mookie Wilson boot. He even played for the Red Sox again in 1990. So, sure this was a nice gesture and all to let the once chronically embittered Sox fans give this guy a completely orchestrated hero's welcome back, but it's a little late, don't you think? It wouldn't have surprised me at all had Bill Buckner just walked right out to the pitcher's mound, dropped his pants and deuced one right on the rosin bag.
In fact, he definitely would've been forgiven for that. At least, by the rest of the world.
Buckner throws out first pitch at Fenway [Boston.com]
Comments
Not every playoff fallguy can turn his mistake into a salsa empire.
coming this september: ray finkle's return to joe robbie
They should let ol' fan who interfered with the ball but then it turned out really didn't throw out the first pitch at Wrigley.
Not sure if I should feel that this is an "aww" moment or be disappointed that he wasn't hit by sniper fire.
In a related story, the Phillies brought back Mitch Williams to throw out their first pitch. It was promptly drilled over the left field wall.
Is game 7's full roster going to throw out tomorrow's first pitch?
Then again it would've added to the pile Gagne left up there last season.
Who else can't hear a thing?
Next week, the Celtics let Len Bias's corpse perform the ceremonial opening tip.
They're actually just introducing him to most of the current Red Sox fanbase, who had never heard of the guy.
they just had him up in the booth with Orsillo and Remy and you could barely hear a word he was saying. he was speaking in whispers and his sentences were 4 words long. needless to say, they kicked him out quickly.
Red Sox Nation wouldn't be what it is today with out Bill Buckner. Thanks, jackass.
/threadjack
When you walk through a storm
hold your head up high
And don't be afraid of the dark.
At the end of a storm is a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark.
Walk on through the wind,
Walk on through the rain,
Tho' your dreams be tossed and blown.
Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone,
You'll never, ever walk alone.
Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone,
You'll never, ever walk alone.
god bless the scousers
end of threadjack/
Maybe Manny felt bad for him, and let him have his grill.
Donnie Moore threw out the first pitch for the angels.
I heard the Angels are doing something similar for Donnie Moore.
Wait, what? Ooooh, I hope they wrote that into the schedule in pencil.
@Rob Iracane: bless you
@strong like bull smart like tractor: +10, but E-3.
@Rob Iracane: No one?
Ok, too soon?
@Gourmet Spud: I'd still take him over Tom Gordon.
Buckner's return ain't got shit on the Tigers ongoing "5th Anniversary Tribute To 2003"
Why did he keep rubbing his eyes? Was the red laser dot from Supermike's sniper rifle blinding him?
Any thoughts on what Simmons would compare this to?
I'm drawing a blank.
Best I could come up with is:
This is like J-Bug coming back to my house years after he banged my wife.
/pretty lame
Was Aaron Boone catching?
In related news a hawk just attacked a Willa Buckner in the upperdeck.
@LeagueofShadows: That's probably spot on for the sad state that is Simmons and ESPN's Page 2.
He was my favorite when he was a Cub.
Who doesn't love hightop cleats?
After seeing this the Cubbies are scheduling the Bartman return to Wrigley after they win the Series. Hopefully he's still alive by then, or at least his grandkids.
2008 Jason Grilli's impersonation of 2007 Jason Grilli is dead on. The Cheese-man cometh.
Oof...he kinda looks like the offspring of Burt Reynolds & Eddie Munster.
@LeagueofShadows: It's like that time when he went on a Vegas trip with J-Bug, Hench and Stoner and they lost a bunch of money to this blackjack dealer with a mean stare, only to find out the same dealer was a good friend of Jimmy Kimmel and was invited over every Sunday to watch football games at his house, which contains 50 enormous HD screens and copious amount of food and beer.
@Upshaws Leash: he was like "wow, do they cover the seats in the outfield now? looks like they added some seats to the monster, eh? how old is david ortiz? who's this guy, 'manny'?"
I don't think he's paying too much attention to the Red Sox out in the middle of Idaho.
@Brazil Thrill: Don't forget that they ran Norv Turner off that blackjack table, too.
daisuke is going for the complete game shutout of the tigers...
will be tough, just had a 30-minute wait. looks like he wants to do it himself.
this comment is not a joke or anything.
They're just copying Japan's maneuver from the '98 Winter Olympics when they rolled out Oppenheimer's corpse to light the torch.
@gotohe11carolina: Horrible PK call ... if thats a PK, then Kuyt should have been charged for rape for his foul on Hleb in the 1st leg.
/ Unbiased footy fan
@Brazil Thrill: And Bob Cousy was the topless waitress.
@strong like bull smart like tractor: Overheard in the stands: "I think he played for the Patriots in the late '80's or something."
I can't wait for the day Bartman throws out the first pitch at Wrigley. Because I'll be long, long dead.
annnnnnnnd there goes Daisuke. standing O!
not from me, i'm not getting up.
After they ran Billy Buck out there, I sure hope they ran John MacNamara over. With a road scraper.
@Brazil Thrill: Nicely done
It wouldn't have surprised me at all had Bill Buckner just walked right out to the pitcher's mound, dropped his pants and deuced one right on the rosin bag.
Pretty sure he took care of that in '86.
Now Playing: Harmonica solo introduction to God Bless America by Steven Tyler
God bless heroin and xanax.
It got really awkward afterwards when that guy with the "Free Tibet" sign ran up to Buckner and kicked him in the nuts.
@Triple B: eh, you win some you lose some, having pulled for the carolina panthers, nc state and my hurricanes over the past year, i think i'm due for at least one team to have some success
If this guy weren't white no way he's still alive.
steven tyler's diet book:
chapter 1) speedballs
Any word how Mangino's first pitch went? Did he eat the ball?
You know what's more hackneyed than The Boston/New England fan sucking? People saying that Boston/New England fans suck. Or that its racist. Or that Boston deserves public defecation, which, upon completion, would be soundly applauded by the entire planet.
Ok, maybe one of those is actually true.
@gotohe11carolina: Touche, sir.
/ Lazio, Habs, Raptors, Dolphins, Jays fan
@TerminatorX1: i see you are new here.
get used to it.