Apr 8th 2008 3:55PM by Matt Watson
Following in the footsteps of Moises Alou finally letting Steve Bartman off the hook, the Red Sox have decided to embrace a former goat of their own by inviting Bill Buckner to throw out the first pitch today, which is all the more symbolic considering the Red Sox received their 2007 World Series rings before the game.

Bucker, of course, has been vilified over the years for letting Mookie Wilson’s dribbler to first base bounce between his legs in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, but he’s finally ready to turn the other cheek. Buckner was met with a standing ovation. From Jack Curry on Bats:
“It was hard to do for me,” said Buckner, whose eyes were red and who had to stop and compose himself during an emotional news conference.

When the Red Sox invited Buckner about six weeks ago, he initially thought he would decline the invitation. But Buckner said he prayed about it and decided it was time for him to return to Boston. The Red Sox have won two championships since 2004, which lessens some of the sting of what happened in 1986.

“I really had to forgive, not the fans of Boston, per se, but I’d have to say in my heart I had to forgive the media for what they put my family through,” Buckner said. Later, he asked, “Where do you the draw the line? Is it O.K. to disrupt someone’s life over a baseball game?”
This is good to see. As Curry points out, it’s long past time for fans to forgive and forget — two titles in four years far outweighs one near miss over two decades ago. Furthermore, it’s nice to see Buckner’s honest reaction to how difficult it was for him to return. Fans and the media turn individual players into scapegoats all the time without much thought (I’d be hypocritical if I didn’t admit I did it, as well) but the reality is that players aren’t just punchlines.