Buckner is Shrine material
If the Boston Red Sox fans can forgive Bill Buckner, the Shrine of the Eternals is ready to open it's arms to him as well.
The star-crossed first baseman, remembered through Red Sox Nation for having a grounder go through his legs that allowed the New York Mets to win Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, was one of three named to the 2008 class of electees to the Baseball Reliquary's Shrine of the Eternals on Thursday.
Former Negro Leaguer Buck O'Neil and former big-league umpire Emmett Ashford also received enough votes to be inducted into what's been called the People's Baseball Hall of Fame, based in Pasadena.
The three will be inducted in ceremonies at the Pasadena Central Library on Sunday, July 20 by the Baseball Reliquary.
Of the 50 eligible candidates, Reliquary director Terry Cannon said that O'Neil received the highest voting percentage -- he was named on 53 percent of the ballots, which ties him with Bill "Spaceman" Lee for the highest percentage since the Shrine elections began in 1999.
Ashford (31 percent) and Buckner (29 percent) edged Casey Stengel (28 percent), Dizzy Dean and Don Zimmer (25 percent), Effa Manley (24 percent) and Steve Dalkowski (23 percent).
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