Buckner Sent to Red Sox (Published 1984)
- ️Sat May 26 1984
- May 26, 1984
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Bill Buckner, a former National League batting champion, was traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Boston Red Sox today for Dennis Eckersley, a former 20-game winner. The Cubs also got a minor league infielder-outfielder, Mike Brumley.
''I'm happy and excited to be going to Boston,'' said Buckner, who has been a pinch-hitter and substitute first baseman this year. ''It's a new league and a new park. You don't know how good you have it until you don't play.'' Buckner is 34 years old, throws and bats left-handed, and won the batting title in 1980 with a .324 average. He had a .296 career average before this season after batting .280 last season with 16 home runs and 66 runs batted in. Currently, he has a .234 average with no home runs and only two runs batted in.
He was relegated to the bench after the Cubs made a trade with Philadelphia for the outfielders Bob Dernier and Gary Matthews.
Eckersley, a 29-year right-hander, broke in with Cleveland in 1975 and posted a 13-7 record. In March 1978, he was traded to the Red Sox and went on to have his best season, 20-8. Last year he slipped to 9-13.