Every now and then am emotional scene comes along on the baseball field that does the heart good. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, it can be magical and heartwarming. Mike Piazza's homerun the first game played in New York following 9/11 and Rick Ankiel's triumphant return and hitting homeruns are two instances that come to mind.

Today, we again witnessed an emotional scene, when the Red Sox and their fans warmly welcomed Bill Buckner back to Fenway Park. With much grace and class, the Red Sox fans gave Buckner a standing ovation that lasted almost five minutes. It was their way of saying, "we're sorry" for abusing you. Whether or not that abuse was justified in the first place is debatable, but the fans made up for it. It was clearly an emotional day for Buckner and the fans...and it proved that all was right in Red Sox Nation.

Buckner was a great player who deserved better than what he received from the Boston fans, but winning can erase many bad memories. Kudos to the fans for welcoming Buckner back to Fenway in such a manner, and the same kudos to Buckner for accepting the invitation and accepting the fans apology. As always, Buckner proved why he was always a class act.

Court Adjourned!