Angels Sign Buckner, Paint His Shoes and Promptly Put Him to Work at First

OAKLAND —  The Angels’ Bill Buckner Era officially began Tuesday with the ceremonial painting of the high top baseball cleats. Once black for the Boston Red Sox, now a dull cherry red for the Angels, his newest and apparently last team.

Team trainers spent part of their Tuesday afternoon spray painting those unattractive high tops, a concession to Buckner’s tender, frail ankles, for the evening’s game against the Oakland A’s. After 72 hours of negotiations, frequent phone calls and sleepless nights, Buckner became an Angel and for the moment, an instant starter.

“It was a difficult decision, but I think I made the right one,” Buckner said in a press conference shortly before the beginning of Tuesday night’s game.

Buckner, released last Thursday by the Red Sox, cleared waivers earlier in the day and was starting at first base in place of injured Wally Joyner by dusk. He is expected to serve as the Angels’ left-handed designated hitter and an occasional replacement for Joyner, that is, when Joyner (bruised rib cage) returns to the lineup.

And barring “something unusual,” Buckner said he will retire at the conclusion of next season. “Next year will be it for me,” he said.

To create a roster position for Buckner, the Angels placed catcher Butch Wynegar, who is suffering from a severely sprained big toe, on the 15-day disabled list and moved relief pitcher Donnie Moore (ribs) to the 21-day list.

In essence, the Angels recruited Buckner. Shortly after his release from the Red Sox, Buckner said he received phone calls from five other teams, including the Angels, Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers. Early indications favored the Twins, but when it became apparent that Minnesota wouldn’t guarantee his contract for 1988, Buckner turned to the Rangers and Angels.

The Rangers, managed by good friend Bobby Valentine, could guarantee his 1988 contract, but unlike the Angels, couldn’t guarantee adequate playing time. So Monday, after working out at Fenway Park, Buckner boarded a plane and flew to Oakland. A night earlier, he had managed only one hour’s sleep.

“That was a very tough decision for me because of my feelings for Bobby Valentine and a lot of people in that organization,” Buckner said. “I respect a lot of people there. They’re a contending ballclub. They picked up a lot of ground recently. They’re an enthusiastic team. It was an opportunity to play for them possibly next year . . . it was certainly a major decision.

“I didn’t decide until (Monday),” he said. “It was very difficult and it went back and forth. I think I felt a loyalty to Bobby, but when I really reached down into my heart, it said, Angels.”

While no figures were released, it is believed that Buckner will receive about $300,000 in base salary in 1988 and an extensive incentives package that could equal his 1987 salary of $800,000. All but about $25,000--the pro-rated waiver price--of Buckner’s 1987 contract is assumed by Boston.

Buckner listed, in no particular order, his signing priorities as such:

--A 1988 guaranteed contract.

--A chance to play on a consistent basis.

--A contender.

It also didn’t hurt, said Buckner, that the Angels could offer honest-to-goodness grass (as opposed to the artificial surface in Minnesota), the talents of Manager Gene Mauch and the prospect of full houses at Anaheim Stadium.

Last season, in 153 games, Buckner hit .267, 18 home runs and drove in 102 runs. He is best remembered, however, for a late-inning error in the sixth game of last year’s World Series. The error eventually helped allow the New York Mets to overcome a Boston lead, win the game and ultimately, the Series.

Buckner was made expendable this year after a sluggish start and the emergence of Boston rookie prospect Sam Horn. Buckner’s statistics: .273 batting average, 2 homers, 42 RBIs and 24 runs scored. The statistics, while not on the same pace as last season’s, placed him fifth among the Angels in RBIs and third in batting average entering Tuesday night’s game.

“I don’t have any animosity at all toward the Red Sox,” he said. “It was difficult playing on a daily basis with the reports coming out each day that you probably might get released. There were days that I would go to plate and think, ‘Gosh, I’ve got to get a base hit this particular at-bat because I’m having a bad day and I might get released tomorrow.’ It’s a very difficult position to be in.”

So important was the acquisition of Buckner that Angel General Manager Mike Port flew to Oakland Tuesday for the festivities. He said the Angels only recently contemplated approaching Buckner, that the chain of events had nothing to do with Joyner’s injury. “We just had to make a decision and go with it,” he said.

Added Port: “We were interested in Bill Buckner because he was Bill Buckner.”

The Angels are counting on Buckner for various things, mainly another left-handed hitter, a veteran with playoff experience and a backup to Joyner should the rib injury persist. They also are hoping that Buckner’s ankles (he had surgery during the off-season) will last this season and next.

“He seems to make do with it and about it,” Port said. “I would submit that there are men of lesser fabric functioning in this game nowadays who would, with a guaranteed contract, have given you their winter address and said, ‘Hopefully, I’ll be ready by next spring.’ ”

Not Buckner, the former Los Angeles Dodger, former Chicago Cub, former Red Sox and now Angel. He arrived at the Oakland Coliseum admittedly rusty after several days of inactivity.

So, of course, on his first at-bat in an Angel uniform, Buckner grounded a ball past A’s third baseman Carney Lansford for a double.