# Jerry Buchek

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{{Short description|American baseball player (1942–2019)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Jerry Buchek
|position=[Infielder](/source/Infielder)
|image=Jerry Buchek - St. Louis Cardinals - 1965.jpg
|caption=Buchek in 1965
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|birth_date= {{Birth date|1942|5|9}}
|birth_place=[St. Louis, Missouri](/source/St._Louis%2C_Missouri), U.S.
|death_date= {{Death date and age|2019|1|2|1942|5|9}}
|death_place=[Springfield, Missouri](/source/Springfield%2C_Missouri), U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate= June 30
|debutyear= 1961
|debutteam= St. Louis Cardinals
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=September 29
|finalyear=1968
|finalteam=New York Mets
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[Batting average](/source/Batting_average_(baseball))
|stat1value=.220
|stat2label=[Home run](/source/Home_run)s
|stat2value=22
|stat3label=[Runs batted in](/source/Runs_batted_in)
|stat3value=108
|teams=
* [St. Louis Cardinals](/source/St._Louis_Cardinals) ({{mlby|1961}}, {{mlby|1963}}–{{mlby|1966}})
* [New York Mets](/source/New_York_Mets) ({{mlby|1967}}–{{mlby|1968}})
|highlights=
* [World Series](/source/World_Series) champion: [1964](/source/1964_World_Series)
}}

'''Gerald Peter Buchek''' ({{respell|boo|check}}; May 9, 1942 – January 2, 2019) was an American [middle infielder](/source/middle_infielder) and [third baseman](/source/third_baseman) who played all or parts of seven seasons in [Major League Baseball](/source/Major_League_Baseball) (MLB) for the [St. Louis Cardinals](/source/St._Louis_Cardinals) and [New York Mets](/source/New_York_Mets). Buchek threw and batted right-handed, stood {{convert|5|ft|11|in}} tall and weighed {{convert|185|lb}}.

==Career==
Born in [St. Louis, Missouri](/source/St._Louis%2C_Missouri), Buchek signed a $59,000 bonus contract with his hometown Cardinals upon graduation from [McKinley High School](/source/McKinley_High_School_(St._Louis%2C_Missouri)).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Simon |first1=Mark |title=Jerry Buchek |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/de1a19c0 |website=sabr.org |accessdate=25 September 2019}}</ref> He began his professional career as an 18-year-old at the highest levels of [minor league baseball](/source/minor_league_baseball), splitting the 1960 season between [Double-A](/source/Double-A_(baseball)) and [Triple-A](/source/Triple-A_(baseball)). He got his first taste of major league action in June {{mlby|1961}} and spent part of {{mlby|1963}} with the Cardinals before making the big league roster in {{mlby|1964}} and spending five consecutive full seasons in the majors.

In 1964, Buchek played in only 35 games, largely as a backup to [shortstop](/source/shortstop) [Dick Groat](/source/Dick_Groat) and [second baseman](/source/second_baseman) [Julián Javier](/source/Juli%C3%A1n_Javier), collecting six [hits](/source/hit_(baseball)) in 30 [at bats](/source/at_bats). But it was a memorable season, as the Cardinals prevailed in a late-September four-team [pennant](/source/pennant_(sports)) scramble to win their first [National League](/source/National_League_(baseball)) title in 18 years. Then they defeated the [New York Yankees](/source/New_York_Yankees) in seven games in the [1964 World Series](/source/1964_World_Series). Buchek appeared as a defensive replacement in four games at second base, and in his lone [plate appearance](/source/plate_appearance), in Game 6, he [singled](/source/single_(baseball)) off [Jim Bouton](/source/Jim_Bouton).<ref>[Retrosheet](/source/Retrosheet) [http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1964/B10140SLN1964.htm box score: 1964 World Series Game 6]</ref>

thumb|left|180px|Buchek in 1961
Buchek remained with the Cardinals as a backup middle infielder in {{mlby|1965}} and {{mlby|1966}}, appearing in 55 and then 100 games respectively. However, with Groat (then [Dal Maxvill](/source/Dal_Maxvill)) and Javier established as the Redbirds' double-play combination, he did not break into the regular lineup, starting a total of 69 games at shortstop and 20 at second base during those two seasons. On May 12, 1966, he scored the first run ever at [Busch Memorial Stadium](/source/Busch_Memorial_Stadium).<ref>{{cite book|title=The Official Major League Baseball Fact Book|year=2002|publisher=The Sporting News|isbn=0-89204-670-8|pages=453}}</ref>

Buchek was traded along with [Art Mahaffey](/source/Art_Mahaffey) and [Tony Martínez](/source/Tony_Mart%C3%ADnez) from the [Cardinals](/source/1966_St._Louis_Cardinals_season) to the [Mets](/source/1967_New_York_Mets_season) for [Ed Bressoud](/source/Ed_Bressoud), [Danny Napoleon](/source/Danny_Napoleon) and cash on April 1, 1967.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9SUsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=FMgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2497%2C127631 "Mets, Cards Engage In 5-Player Deal," ''The Associated Press'' (AP), Sunday, April 2, 1967.] Retrieved March 2, 2023.</ref> The Mets were seeking a new second baseman after trading four-year veteran [Ron Hunt](/source/Ron_Hunt) to the [Los Angeles Dodgers](/source/Los_Angeles_Dodgers). The Mets' [general manager](/source/general_manager_(baseball)), [Bing Devine](/source/Bing_Devine), had signed Buchek when he was front-office boss of the Cardinals in 1960. In 1967, Buchek started 92 games at second base (along with 14 games at [third base](/source/third_baseman) and five at [shortstop](/source/shortstop)), and set personal bests in [games played](/source/games_played) (124), hits (97), home runs (14) and [runs batted in](/source/runs_batted_in) (41). Among Mets fans he was known for starting an improbable comeback victory against the [Atlanta Braves](/source/Atlanta_Braves) on July 9, 1967. Down 4–3 in the bottom of the ninth with two outs and nobody on base, Buchek, batting .230, was sent in to pinch hit for [Bud Harrelson](/source/Bud_Harrelson), who already had four hits, including a [double](/source/double_(baseball)), that game. Buchek hit a home run to tie the game, and the Mets went on to score another run to win 5–4.<ref>[https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYN/NYN196707090.shtml Baseball Reference]</ref> But in {{mlby|1968}}, he fell to third on the Mets' second base depth chart, behind both [Ken Boswell](/source/Ken_Boswell) and [Phil Linz](/source/Phil_Linz), and [batted](/source/batting_average_(baseball)) only .182.

During that off-season, Buchek was traded twice, first back to the Cardinals and then to the [Philadelphia Phillies](/source/Philadelphia_Phillies). He spent 1969 with the Phillies' Triple-A [Eugene](/source/Eugene_Emeralds) farm club, where he batted .246 in 127 games, then retired from baseball at age 27. For his MLB career, he batted .220 with 259 hits, 35 doubles, 11 [triples](/source/triple_(baseball)), 22 home runs and 108 runs batted in<!--not a mistake--> in 421 games played.

Buchek worked as a union meatcutter for National Supermarkets in St. Louis, Missouri after baseball, enjoying fishing with friends.

Buchek died on January 2, 2019, in [Springfield, Missouri](/source/Springfield%2C_Missouri), at the age of 76.<ref>{{cite web |title=Obituary for Gerald Peter Bucheck at Walnut Lawn Funeral Home |url=http://www.walnutlawnfuneralhome.com/obituary/gerald-bucheck |website=www.walnutlawnfuneralhome.com |publisher=Batesville, Inc.|accessdate=4 January 2019 |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Baseballstats|br=b/bucheje01|brm=buchek001ger}}

{{1964 St. Louis Cardinals}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Buchek, Jerry}}
Category:1942 births
Category:2019 deaths
Category:Atlanta Crackers players
Category:Baseball players from St. Louis
Category:Eugene Emeralds players
Category:Florida Instructional League Cardinals players
Category:Major League Baseball second basemen
Category:Major League Baseball shortstops
Category:New York Mets players
Category:Portland Beavers players
Category:Rochester Red Wings players
Category:St. Louis Cardinals players
Category:Tulsa Oilers (baseball) players
Category:20th-century American sportsmen

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Jerry Buchek](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Buchek) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Buchek?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.