Buck O'Neill Story - Part 2

Buck was a player manager toward the end of his playing days. Thus, he was very interactive with his players during a game. During one of those games, Buck's team was down 2-1 very late in the game. His leadoff man singled to left. He took his lead and immediately got picked off by the opposing pitcher. One out. The dejected base runner hung his head and walked back to the dugout only to be greeted by Buck and his tirade for being thrown out thereby taking away "small ball" options. Though hurt, his leadoff man protested by saying the pitcher had a good pickoff move, best he had ever seen. Buck would hear none of it and relegated the guy to the bench for the rest of the game.


The batter at the plate singled, further infuriating Buck as his leadoff man, who got picked off, would have been in scoring position had he not been so careless.

Buck grabbed his bat and despite and still seething from his leadoff man's baserunning gaffe lined a single to center. Runners at 1st and 2nd, one out. Buck took his lead from first base. In an instant, the opposing pitcher wheeled and picked Buck off of first base. Now, there were two outs.

Shaking off the dirt from his uniform, Buck walked slowly back to the dugout only to see his leadoff man sitting at the left side of the dogout and looking straight ahead. Feeling ashamed, Buck headed toward the right side of the dugout. Buck sat and watched as the next batter drew a walk.  Now, there were runners on 1st and 2nd, two out.  Were it not for 2 baserunners having been picked off, Buck's team would have at least scored one run and tied the game.

While Buck was bemoaning to himself  the lost opportunity, the leadoff man, who minutes earlier was feeling like a goat, walked down toward Buck's end of the dugout. Without looking at Buck and staring straight out onto the field, he calmly stated "so, Buck, that pitcher has some pickoff move, doesn't he?"

The humbled and chastened Buck could only smile, shake his head, and laugh in saying "yep, he's got quite a pickoff move, best I've ever seen".
 
Of course, it is better see and hear Buck O'Neill tell the story in his own voice.  Quite a storyteller.