Bio: Buker, Cy (21 Jul 1966)

Contact: Stan

Email: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Buker

----Source: Greenwood Gleaner (Greenwood, Clark Co., Wis.)   07/21/1966

As he looks back on baseball, Cy Buker feels that he was very fortunate to play with or against some of the greatest baseball players of history.

"Ted Williams was the greatest batter of this era," said Buker, "He had no weakness, he could knock a ball a mile, and even in practice the other players would stop their activity to watch him swing a bat.  Stan Musial was the greatest batter I ever face.  He had no weakness unless you would throw the ball behind him.

"The greatest pitchers of my time," said Buker, "I would list Bob Feller, "Lefty" Gomez, "Lefty" Grove, Ted Lyons, Warren Spahn, Dizzy and Paul Dean.

"In batting," said Buker, "In addition to Williams and Musial, I would list Joe Dimaggio, Jimmy Fox, Mel Ott, Stan Hack and Bill Nicholson.  Dimaggio was one of the finest all-around ball players I ever knew, and he had two brothers who could play a lot of outfield.  Hack, although not usually considered a long ball hitter, go the long one occasionally and seldom struck out.  Nicholson had power to burn, but was occasionally a strike out victim."

In closing his reminiscing, Cy Buker said: --" Tell the folks that all of the hitters hurt me until I came back to Greenwood."  But, the records do not bear this out.  Cy Buker’s pitching record is one that will stand before the best hitters and pitching record is one seldom equaled by moder hurlers.

Today, at 48, Cy Buker is young at heart,  he loves the sports for the thrill and the challenge it brings to player and coach.

Asked of the 1966 race in the majors, Buker said: "I think the National League race will be between the Dodgers, Giants, Pittsburgh, with the Braves the dark-horse.  In the American League, Baltimore, the Chicago White Sox, Cleveland, and if the get some pitching, Minnesota.

"In my American Association years, I roomed with Danny Murtaugh, later Pittsburgh Pirates manager, and my respect for Murtaugh has made me a Pirate fan.  I have served as scout for the pirates and Braves and know the players very well.  "If Mathews, who once killed me with  a ball he knocked over the stands and never found, gets to hitting for the Braves, with their young pitchers, they may be tough."

Cy Buker, as player and coach, is "Mr. Athletics" in his home town of Greenwood.