Dent says he still has fun with 1978 home run

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Around the Boston area he will always be known as Bucky (Bleepin’) Dent.
The former All-Star and two-time World Series champ (1977-78), who played in the Major Leagues from 1973-84, had a solid career but will always be remembered for hitting a 3-run home run Oct. 2, 1978 in an American League East 1-game playoff at Fenway Park.
Dent’s homer gave the Yanks the lead for good and they went on to win the World Series that year.
When asked about the home run Dent said, “Oh yeah. Oh yeah, it is something we have fun with. I know I still have a middle initial the Boston fans use that was given to me by (then Boston manager Don) Zimmer. I still tease the people in Boston about the home run but we have fun with it. It is definitely a love-hate relationship.
?The home run is always something that we talk about at our baseball school,” Dent said while addressing the media Tuesday morning. “A lot of the kids think I am dead so when I am introduced it is brought up. We do have a lot of fun with it.”
Dent, who was at the Little League World Series on behalf Subway’s Baseball Design Across America tour, agreed with remarks Jim Rice made Friday that Major League Baseball has changed since his playing days but was not critical of individual players like Rice was.
?When we played the game we played it hard,” Dent said. “You played hard, you slid hard. You played the game right. We did not do all the jumping around that players do today because if you did you knew you were going to get knocked down. You just went on the field to win without all the antics you see today.”
While Rice was critical of Manny Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter when he talked to the 16 teams at the World Series, Dent said Jeter plays the game the right way.
?There is no doubt that the shortstop position has changed the most in baseball over the years with players getting bigger and stronger,” Dent said. “For some reason Jeter gets beat up a lot but all he has done is won four World Series titles. He can play for me anytime. My son is a shortstop and I tell him to watch Jeter. He plays the game right. He plays it hard and runs hard.”
In talking about the Yankees of 1977 and 1978 Dent said winning was the common denominator that kept them together.
?Whatever happened off the field between Reggie (Jackson), Thurman (Munson) and Billy (Martin), when they went out between the lines they went out to beat you,” Dent said. “They wanted to beat you. That is what stood out back then.”
Dent said one of the pressures facing today’s players is media scrutiny and the fact everyone has a cell phone camera.
?Guys today can’t go out and have fun like we did,” Dent said. “When I played I played with characters that had character. Guys like Rich Gossage and Lou Piniella were definitely characters that loved to play the game.”
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Baseball Design Across America is auctioning off baseballs on eBay with all proceeds going to Little League Baseball. Balls available are signed by such sports stars like Fred Lynn, Dave Winfield, Bob Gibson Albert Pujols as well as TV personalities, musicians and actors.
?I am asking everyone who gets a chance to go and look at the auctions and make a bid to help Little League,” Dent said. “I know that some of the baseballs have some pretty good bids on them, especially Pujols, so I could certainly use some help on to get mine (bid) up there.”