Bob Buckner

Robert Dean Buckner

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 180 lb.
• High School Napa High School

• Born January 11, 1948

BR minors page

Biographical Information

Infielder Bob Buckner played five seasons of minor league ball. He is the brother of Bill Buckner and Jim Buckner and the cousin of Matt Carson and Clayton Carson.

He was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 37th round of the 1966 amateur draft and made his pro debut that summer with the Yakima Braves. He hit .223/.289/.289 and led Northwest League second basemen with 185 assists and 54 double plays. He batted just .194/.285/.216 for the 1967 West Palm Beach Braves. He moved on to the Los Angeles Dodgers organization in 1968, and with the Tri-City Atoms that year, he led the Northwest League with 24 stolen bases (two ahead of Bill Brooks). He hit .278/.381/.430. He also led the NWL with 54 runs (4 ahead of Ron Cey), was 8th in average (between Lucky Thompson and George Foster) and led second basemen in putouts (146) and assists (130). He did not make the NWL All-Star team as Patrick Locanto was picked at 2B.

He split 1969 between the Bakersfield Dodgers (.189/.302/.189 in 37 G) and Rogue Valley Dodgers (.348/.418/.476, 52 R in 69 G). He won the league batting title by five points over Edward Goldstone, was 4th in runs (between Ed Crosby and Ray Colin), was second to Colin with 16 doubles, tied Crosby for 4th in hits (81), was caught stealing the most (9 times), ranked third in steals (14), was second to Steve Cooley in OBP and led third basemen in assists (105) and fielding percentage (.890). He was named the league All-Star third baseman. Three years later, his brother Jim led the same loop in many departments. He played his final pro season with the Bakersfield Dodgers in 1970, hitting .250/.335/.306 in 71 games.