Buckner, Wilson Agree First Baseman Did Not Have a Chance on Play

It is the contention of Bill Buckner that even if he had fielded Mookie Wilson’s grounder in Game 6 of the World Series, he couldn’t have gotten him at first because Boston pitcher Bob Stanley was late breaking from the mound.

Wilson agrees. The New York Met outfielder told the Hartford Courant: “There is no way Stanley would have beaten me to the bag. I was already past him. I don’t know whether he was slow or I got out of the box fast.

“I didn’t have any prayer that the ball was going to go through, but I knew that I had a 90% chance of beating Buckner to the bag. I think he probably took his eyes off the ball for a split second. He’s a good fielder and he would never miss that ball. He was probably trying to rush everything, especially with him not being in the best of health.”

Would-you-believe-it dept.: Here’s how Kansas Coach Larry Brown explained a technical foul that he drew from official Jim Bain in the Big Eight tournament: “I’ve asked that Jim Bain not referee our games. It goes back to when I was at UCLA and we had him against Notre Dame. He was looking to put a technical on me all day.”

Now-it-can-be-told dept.: James (Bonecrusher) Smith not only took 20 stitches to close an eye cut but suffered some separated cartilage in his rib cage in the loss to Mike Tyson.

Smith told Newsday he doesn’t see anybody around capable of beating Tyson.

“He’s the best heavyweight in the world,” Smith said.

Trivia Time: When Florida meets North Carolina State in the NCAA East Regional, Gator Coach Norm Sloan will be going against the school he coached to the NCAA title in 1973-74. Where did Sloan coach before going to North Carolina State? (Answer below.)

From Steve Fainaru of the Hartford Courant: “The Dodgers figure to cut their spring training expenses by about $1 million this year in Dodgertown. Here’s how: Save $50,000 by providing potato chips instead of cashews; no more doughnuts; no more free tennis lessons for the players’ wives; serve more grouper, less lobster.”

Bill Laimbeer of the Detroit Pistons, on Kevin McHale of the Boston Celtics: “He never puts the ball on the floor because he can’t dribble.”

McHale: “That’s because I’m too busy scoring in his face.”

He’s now a Baltimore Oriole, but Ray Knight still is talking like a New York Met.

“The other day,” he told Marty Noble of Newsday, “I read something about Mike Schmidt saying the Mets were arrogant again. I’m surprised he said that. Mike is my friend. But Mike Schmidt is one of the most arrogant players who ever played this game.”

Add Schmidt: If he hits 30 homers this year, he will pass Mel Ott, Ernie Banks, Eddie Mathews, Willie McCovey and Ted Williams, and move to ninth on the all-time list.

From Hubert Mizell of the St. Petersburg Times: “Amerika’s team? The new $200,000 weight room of the Dallas Cowboys is decorated with 10 photographs of Soviet weightlifters.”

Trivia Answer: Florida.

Quotebook

Reggie Jackson of the Oakland A’s, saying he’s not looking for any special ceremonies during his final year in baseball: “I don’t want a lot of hoopla. Because I’m a lot of hoopla, anyway.”