European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 25, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Saturday. October 25. 1986 the stars and stripes Page 23 commentary Buckner s legs defied logic of pain Bill Buckner winced and grimaced every step of the Way the agony etched in his face. Every stride sent shards of pain through his aching Ankles an sore Achilles Tendon. But this is the world series and the Boston red sox and the new York mets were tied at two games apiece. So Bill Buckner ran not very swiftly and not very steadily limping along like a Man with eggs in his shoes trying not to break the shells. And every step was awful. Buckner is two months Short of his 37th birthday. His Speed is mostly a memory when he is healthy and a figment of his imagination right now. He is playing mostly on courage. He was poised at second base in the third inning thursday night a Boston run waiting to be scored. The question was just How the red sox would get him Home without a wheelchair. Dwight Evans delivered a base hit and now the race began Bill Buckner against logic a Man run Ning on two bad legs trying to negotiate 180 feet from second base to Home plate. It must have seemed like 180 Miles. It was not a pretty sight. Buckner got no Points for form. What he got was More important a red sox run putting them up 2-0 in a game they would win 4 2. For Boston fans watching him make that slow painful tour of the bases must have been a Micro cosm of what they be been through for 68 years of waiting for their red sox to win the world series. It required a Little patience and a lot of pain. The first Man to decide that Buckner sore Ankles and All would score this run was third base coach Rene Lachmann. I Don t Send him on a routine single especially to left held Lacheman said. You see where the Ball is hit. It was to Len Dykstra s left. He had to come a Long Way go to his Side and come up throwing. Bill got a Good jump. It was a Tough the Man it would be toughest on was Buckner. He had been non productive in the series and had heard some suggestions from fans that he ought to take his sore Ankles to the end of the Bench. He was not amused. I had More people bad Mouth me last night than All season he said. I was busting my butt with two bad legs and they re telling me to take myself out of the Boston first Tostman Bill Buckner wearing his unique High top shoes and nursing leg injury works out before a series game at Fenway Park. Instead he took out one of the High top shoes he has been wearing putting a regulation shoe on his right foot and a High top on his left for game 5. I begot to make an adjustment in the off season. The right one was making the Bone sore on the ankle so i went to the Bowcut he said. This would not exactly turn him into Rickey Hen Derson but at least it Cut Down the pain that h As been his constant companion for the last six weeks. And perhaps it made that second to Home sprint a Little easier. From Buckner s Point of View the first 90 feet from second to third was like a Day at the Beach almost pleasant. The rest of the trip was just what i seemed to those watching him make it pure agony. It was the first time i had to run hard since i pulled the Achilles he said. I got to third base i Good shape. I m going with the third base coach. 1 assume i m going until he tells me to there would be no such message from Lache Mann who was wind milling his sending the limping runner those last fateful 90 feet. Second to third base went Quick Buckner said. Third base to Home took 20 not quite. But it seemed that Long. He lumbered Down the line and As he approached Home plate he came in head first with a slide that would never get Pete Rose s endorsement. He was however Safe. And that s what counts. As Long As you make it Buckner said. Asked about his unorthodox arrival at the plate Buckner smiled thinly. That was not a slide he said. I now there is one perhaps two More games left in Bill Buckner s painful season. Ill be Able to run better saturday he promised. There s nothing to hold Back the associated part Darling s wife was tired says Carter Boston a mets Pitcher Ron Darling beat the Boston red sox 6-2 in wednesday night s fourth world series game his wite was robbed by muggers of $900. Two men stole the Wallet out of her purse As she walked outside Fenway Park about 30 minutes after the game wednesday night. Toni o Reilly Darling a Model was not Hurt. She did not Tell her husband about the robbery until he got Back to the hotel but he had heard rumours of it during the Celebration of his Victory. A mets spokesman Dennis d Agosti no when asked Early thursday about the incident initially denied knowledge of it. She s a real trouper darting said. When i got Home she was doing Fine. I thought she d be a mess. But All she wanted to Tau about was the mrs. Darting filed the report with police at 12 05 . Thursday. The men walked up one on each Side of her Ana the Felt something tug at her purse. She turned and saw the men who were carry Gooden did t fool botox Mere were nine $100 Bills and two tickets to thursday night s game at Fen Way Park in her purse. By Harry Atkins Boston a when the new York mets called on Dwight Gooden the doctor was out. The mets Ace gave up nine hits and four runs in Only four innings thursday night As the Boston red sox beat the mets 4-2 in game 5 of the world series taking a 3-2 advantage As the series swings Back to new York. Gooden now has Given up 10 runs eight earned and has been the losing Pitcher in two of the mets three world series defeats. Gooden was pitching again with Only three Days rest and it showed. Normally a fastball and Power Pitcher Gooden re lied on a variety of curves and off Speed pitches that did t fool the red sox. I think Dwight had Good enough stuff his Catcher Gary Carter said. To their credit the red sox broke on top of him Early. We were throwing More breaking stuff. Boston is a fastball hitting club. Carter conceded that Gooden s probably was tired but said that was t the reason the red sox beat him. I be said All along this game s hum bling Carter said. Dwight knows that he had some great outings on the year and pretty Well dominated. Boston is a Good bal Klub. You be got to give them credit Gooden said he had intended to throw More off Speed was something i had to do Gooden said. The game in new York i threw mainly fastballs and they knew what was coming. I had to throw off Speed pitches. I had an average fastball tonight for me. Gooden suffered from a Lack of sup port in the Field. In the third inning a error by shortstop Rafael Santana led to the second red sox run. There were some Tough plays tonight like the Ball hit off my leg and if second baseman Tim Teufel could have gotten it it would have helped Gooden said of Jim Rice s single that was part of a bases loaded first inning although the red sox did t score. They got break there. Then after Rice s triple i got in on Baylor and broke his Bat but he got a hit. That s the Way the Breaks were right fielder Darryl Strawberry said he could understand Why Gooden was depressed by the we had scored earlier in the Ball be maybe he could have relaxed Wherry said. Doc s Stilt a great Pitcher. He s just not getting the Breaks and it s killing feels Down and i Don t blame him Strawberry said. He wants to win Soba and he s not getting a break. He knows he can pitch belter than he s been pitching. It s just not happening for was asked if the pressure of playing in the world series was a Factor. I Don t think it s the pressure of the world series Strawberry replied Young Guys like us put pressure on ourselves. Do wants to do Well. You know you re being watched by everybody in the world. He just got to keep his head Mel Stottlemyre the mets pitching coach said it was evident that Gooden was gave us the Best that he had under a difficult situation Stottlemyre said. Sis
