Baseball Great Bill Buckner Dead at 69

Former baseball great, Bill Buckner suffered from Lewy Body Dementia. The sportsman passed away after a long battle with the disease.

Bill Buckner was a baseball stalwart who compiled 2,715 hits for five different teams over a 22-year career. He died on Monday at the age of 69.

His wife Jody Buckner confirmed the news to ESPN. She also discussed his illness. Lewy Body Dementia causes Alzheimer’s-like symptoms combined with movement issues and other problems.

"Bill fought with courage and grit as he did all things in life," Jody Buckner said. "Our hearts are broken but we are at peace knowing he is in the arms of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

Buckner broke into the big leagues with the Los Angeles Dodgers before moving to the Chicago Cubs. He was an All-Star in 1981 and finished in the top 20 of MVP voting in 1978, 1980, 1981 and 1982.

Buckner later played for the Boston Red Sox, California Angels, and Kansas City Royals. He returned to the Red Sox in 1990 but injuries and ineffectiveness at the plate saw him leave baseball in June that year.

Buckner was best remembered for the infamous October night when Mookie Wilson hit a ground ball that rolled through his legs. Mounting criticism and pressure from fans after the incident at Shea Stadium led to Buckner and his family moving from Massachusetts to Idaho.

On Monday, Wilson said that he and Buckner "had developed a friendship that lasted well over 30 years.

"I felt badly for some of the things he went through," Wilson added. "Bill was a great, great baseball player whose legacy should not be defined by one play."

Mayor of the City of Boston, Marty Welsh tweeted, "Sad to hear of the passing of the great Bill Buckner, who had a long and overwhelmingly successful career with the @MLB & @RedSox. May he rest in peace."