The Ground Ball — The Bill Buckner Story

There are a few moments in sports more wild than the ground ball that slipped through Bill Buckner’s legs during Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. It wasn’t just a mistake, it became a symbol. But few people know that what made that moment even more haunting is something Buckner said before it ever happened.

Nineteen days before Game 6, during an interview, Bill Buckner sat down with a TV crew to talk about what it meant to be playing for the Boston Red Sox in the World Series. In that interview, he said something chilling:

“The dreams are that you’re gonna have a great series and win. The nightmares are that you’re gonna let the winning run score on a ground ball through your legs.”

It wasn’t a joke. It wasn’t a throwaway line. It was a raw and honest moment of vulnerability from a veteran player who had spent more than 20 years in the major leagues. And just under three weeks later, that exact nightmare came true.

It was the bottom of the 10th inning in Game 6. The Red Sox were up by one run. One more out, and they would be World Champions. Mookie Wilson of the New York Mets stepped up to the plate. With a runner on second, he hit a slow roller down the first base line.

The kind of ground ball fielders practice a thousand times.

The kind of ball you expect to end a game.

And then—it slipped right between Buckner’s legs.

The tying run scored. Then the winning run. The Mets would go on to win Game 7, and the Red Sox would wait another 18 years to finally break the curse.

Buckner, despite a long and successful career, became a scapegoat. A punchline. A tragic figure.

But what makes this story so powerful isn't just the error, it’s the idea that he spoke it into existence.

This moment is explored in depth in the book Exspeaktations, which dives into the idea that what we speak, we often create. That our words, especially when repeated, internalized, and emotionally charged can have the power to shape our reality. What you say matters. What you dwell on matters. The mind is listening.

Buckner didn’t want that moment to happen. Of course not. But he had already lived it in his mind. He had already spokenit aloud. And in some way, he had given it life.

That doesn’t mean that every fear we speak will come true. But it does raise an important question: What are we planting with our words? What kind of reality are we rehearsing when we speak about our lives, our fears, and our future?

If Buckner’s story teaches us anything, it’s that the line between our thoughts and our outcomes can be thinner than we think. The words we choose to use, especially about ourselves, carry incredible weight.

Teachers, coaches, leaders, parents, and yes, even athletes, need to remember this.

When you say, “I’m not good under pressure,” your brain files it away. When you mutter, “I always mess this up,” you’re rehearsing a result. And when you joke, “Watch me screw this up,” don’t be surprised when you do.

Imagine instead if Buckner had said, “The dream is to win the World Series—and I’ll do everything I can to make it happen.” It may not have changed the outcome—but it certainly would have changed the internal script he was playing on repeat in his mind.

The words we speak are more than noise. They are instructions. They are signals to our subconscious, and they either fuel our confidence or erode it.

Bill Buckner didn’t lose the World Series. Baseball is a team sport, and that error was one moment in a series full of them. But his story stands as a timeless reminder:

Be careful what you say because your words might just be listening.

 Chris Coltran is the author of multiple books including Selling to your Grandmother and the Grandmother Philosophy — the philosophy of “treating people like you would treat your own grandmother.” He has conducted workshops and seminars for over 20,000 participants. Chris’ latest book, Exspeaktations – What you Say is what you Get and the accompanying 21-step  I AM Intention Tracker focuses on mindset and the power that your words and thoughts have over your outcomes. Thoughts become your words, words produce your actions and actions determine your future.  The I AM Intention Tracker is already being used in coaching and training sessions for professionals. Learn more about Chris by visiting www.c2unlimited.com