BASEBALL: Cubs hope Buckner will be big hit in Boise

THE OLYMPIAN • Published December 31, 2011 Modified December 30, 2011

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The Chicago Cubs have hired former star Bill Buckner as a minor league hitting coach.

Buckner will be with the Boise Hawks of the short-season Class A Northwest League. Buckner currently lives in the Boise area.

Buckner played for the Cubs from 1977-84 and won the 1980 NL batting title. He was a career .289 hitter over 22 seasons.

Buckner, 62, was a manager last year for Brockton, a Massachusetts team in the independent CanAm league. He previously was a hitting coach for the Chicago White Sox and held the same position in the minors for Toronto.

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