Bill Buckner Dies at 69 After Battling Dementia

Major league baseball player Bill Buckner died on Monday at the age of 69 from Lewy Body Dementia, reports ESPN . "Bill fought with courage and grit as he did all things in life," his family said in an official statement announcing his passing. Buckner played 22 seasons in the majors and won a batting title in 1980. But, for years, he was known for a single play in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series in which a ground ball went through his legs that allowed the New York Mets to tie the Series and eventually win it in Game 7. Buckner was vilified in Boston for years. But after the team won two World Series titles in the 2000s, he was invited back to throw the first pitch in the Red Sox's 2008 home opener. He received a standing ovation that lasted nearly two minutes.