THE RAYS and A ONE WAY
TICKET TO "MANNY-WOOD" ...
The Sox beat Detroit after the
2007 pennant raising ceremonies

April 8, 2008 ... The 108th Red Sox home opener had a little something for everyone. The local nine unveiled new tiers of seats upstairs along the baselines, banners were unfurled, championship rings were awarded, Boston Hall of Famers from every sport were feted, Bill Buckner was absolved, and fans were treated to a video of Neil Diamond on the big board singing "Sweet Caroline" while owner Tom Werner and some Pips swayed in the background.

Daisuke Matsuzaka and the Red Sox methodically thrashed the reeling Detroit Tigers, 5-0, in the 97th Fenway opener. Kevin Youkilis enjoyed a three-hit day, Manny Ramirez treated the 36,567 to a tour de bases (triple, scoring on a bad relay throw), and Matsuzaka improved to 2-0 with 6 2/3 innings of seven-strikeout chucking.

Yesterday's hour-long pregame festivities had a familiar feel. It was as if Dr. Charles Steinberg were still orchestrating via satellite from his new home at Dodger Stadium. Just after 1 p.m., flags from 62 nations, representing homelands of citizens of Red Sox Nation, lined the outfield while championship banners were unfurled on the Green Monster. This was done to the accompaniment of the Boston Pops playing the theme from "Jurassic Park" which just happens to represent the era (1903-18) in which the first five Sox flags were won.

Then came the parade of champions, a conga line of hardware-toting Hub superstars including Bill Russell, Bobby Orr, Tedy Bruschi, and the immortal Curtis Leskanic. Chief John Bucyk carried the Stanley Cup, Danny Ainge carted the Larry O'Brien Trophy, Bruschi held one of the Lombardi Trophies, and "the Mechanic" shared the World Series trophy with Dave McCarty. According to Red Sox research, it was the first time the four trophies were in one location simultaneously. The only thing missing was the Olympic torch, but Sox management wisely eschewed the notion in the interest of fan safety.

After the basketball/hockey/football legends took their seats on the third base side, the 2007 Sox were presented their World Series rings, each player getting handshakes from John Henry, Werner, Larry Lucchino, and Theo Epstein. Johnny Pesky and David Ortiz raised the championship banner on the center-field flagpole.

The flyover was next, and one of the four F-16 "Fighting Falcons" scrambled dramatically under the others as the jets approached the airspace over Fenway. Finally, there was the ceremonial first pitch from Buckner, long harpooned as the goat of the crushing 1986 World Series defeat. Billy Buck's appearance was a carefully guarded secret on Yawkey Way and fans were somewhat stunned to see the still-fit, mustachioed first baseman emerge from the outfield wall.

Right up until he made the toss to Dwight Evans, we wondered whether John McNamara might send Dave Stapleton out to make the throw, but Buckner's aim was true and the crowd roared its approval. It was cathartic, just as it was when Buckner came back to the team in the spring of 1990. The man who never felt the need to be forgiven was finally blessed by a blissful Nation that today knows little of ancient curses and defeats.

After being introduced for the eighth and final time since March 25, the Sox took the field and played baseball. It was 46 degrees at 2:12 p.m. when Matsuzaka threw his first Fenway gyroball of 2008.

The Sox put a run on the board on a couple of hits and a sac fly off Kenny Rogers in the second. In the third, Ramirez led with a long fly to the triangle in center. Manny took an extra half-second to admire his blast and it almost cost him when he went for a triple, but Placido Polanco's relay throw clanged off Miguel Cabrera's glove and into the dugout, giving Manny a Little League home run, a triple and an error.

Dice-K got another run to work with (help from another Tiger error) in the fourth and faced his defining moment when he pitched to Carlos Guillen with the bases loaded and two out in the sixth. He worked the count to 3 and 2, then got Guillen on a soft liner to shallow center. With two out in the seventh, Matsuzaka was pulled after walking Brandon Inge. Matsuzaka received a nice ovation as he speed-walked to the dugout. He took off his cap and returned the love.

The game dragged through the late innings. Steven Tyler submitted a nice a cappella version of "God Bless America" before the home half of the seventh. The Diamond video, sponsored by a local furniture outlet, was played before the Sox batted in the eighth. Hideki Okajima came on to pitch a perfect ninth.