BREAKING: MLB All-Star and Famed Red Sox First Baseman Bill Buckner Passes Away at 69

The baseball world lost a phenomenal player today.

Former MLB All-Star Bill Buckner has passed away at the age of 69 after a courageous fight with Lewy Body Dementia.

The quiet passing was first announced by Buckner's old friend, Bobby Valentine.

Buckner was one of the best hitters of his time. The 22-year veteran and 1981 All-Star won the batting title in 1980 and finished his career with 2,715 hits and a .289 career batting average.

He spent time with the Dodgers, Cubs and Red Sox during his career before briefly bouncing around between the Royals and Angels in the late 1980s.

Buckner was most notably, and rather unfairly, blamed for Boston's loss in the 1986 World Series, when a would-be third out of a ground ball slipped beneath his glove, allowing the Mets to force a decisive Game 7 instead of sending the game to extra innings. Every step of the way, however, Buckner owned his error, even in the immediate aftermath, postgame.

He made peace with the city of Boston following their curse-breaking World Series in in 2004, then went back to his private life.

What's often forgotten about Buckner amidst all the happenings of his career was that he was a stand-up guy and a fantastic person.

Buckner was a borderline Hall of Famer as a hitter, and we hope he gets more consideration in the years following his tragic passing.