MLB
How did the Mets win the 1986 World Series?
The New York Mets' 6-5 win over the Red Sox has been celebrated annually since 1986. While the Mets are praised every 25 Oct., Bill Buckner is still blamed.
October 25 will always be the day the New York Mets made magic at home after defeating the Boston Red Sox in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series.
The Mets claimed their second World Series title after winning the series four games to three.
What happened at Shea Stadium?
The Red Sox were twice one strike away from winning the title. While the Mets had no base, the Red Sox entered the bottom of the 10th inning with a 5-3 lead and the first two outs.
The Red Sox made a pitching change, replacing the young Calvin Schiraldi with Boston’s star pitcher Bob Stanley. While Stanley threw a wild pitch that went past catcher Rich Gedman, left fielder Kevin Mitchell scored the tying run. The only thing left at that point was for the Red Sox to close out the inning.
And that’s when history turned its wheels around.
Outfielder, William “Mookie” Wilson, hit the ground ball that made its way through Bill Buckner's leg. (Sorry, again Buckner.) Then Mets’ infielder Ray Knight, who had advanced to second base, came around to score the winning run giving the Mets the 6-5 victory.
The Shea Stadium shook in excitement as Buckner and the Red Sox were left out of words. Here's a little preview to give you the feels.
Buckner has always been blamed for the Red Sox loss
Buckner’s mistake was not taken lightly by the baseball world, especially the Red Sox fans. He was always blamed for the team’s loss, and every 25th of October, the subject still comes up.
But Buckner always stayed positive, despite the negativity. He told the New York Times in 2011, “You can never really forget it because it comes up all the time. I’m a competitive guy, so it’s something I didn’t enjoy. But for some reason, the stars were all lined up just right for the Mets that year, and here we are, 25 years later, still talking about it.”
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Buckner may have made a mistake that changed his team’s history till this day, but he has certainly shown a sports character worthy of respect.