Buckner did not charge it, as a more nimble Stapleton might have. In a 2011 interview with The New York Times, McNamara said he had no regrets about leaving Buckner in the game. “But he got to the ball.”Even if Buckner had fielded the ball cleanly, Wilson might have beaten him or Stanley to the bag. As it happened, Stapleton would never play in the majors again, and Buckner would struggle to escape the shadow of his error. Valentine roomed with Buckner in the minors and played with him on the Dodgers.

Source: New York Times May 28, 2019 01:18 UTC