When it comes to baseball, few people know more collectively about Boston and Chicago than Bill Buckner. So when the Cubs come to Boston in a couple of weeks, it only makes sense that the former first baseman will be there.
According to ESPN.com, Buckner will join Cubs play-by-play announcer Len Kasper in the WGN television booth as a color commentator for the May 20 game at Fenway Park. Buckner will fill in for Bob Brenly, who will be taking the day off to watch his son, Michael, play a minor league game for the Cubs’ Class A Daytona team, the Chicago Tribune reports.
Buckner spent parts of eight seasons with the Cubs before he was traded to the Red Sox in 1984 in a deal that sent Dennis Eckersley to Chicago. While Buckner was a fine player with both teams — he won a batting crown in 1980 with the Cubs — he made an infamous error for the Red Sox in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series against the Mets. Boston went on to lose the series in seven games, and many Red Sox fans blamed Buckner.
But Boston has forgiven Buckner. When he returned to Fenway Park in 2008 to throw out the ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day after the Red Sox won their second World Series in four seasons, Buckner received a rousing ovation.
