Buckner's fans didn't forget to forgive him

Lou Gorman, the Red Sox general manager who traded for Bill Buckner, released him, re-signed him for the final season of his 22-year career, and released him again, said that after Tuesday's emotional pregame ceremony, Buckner told him he finally felt "closure."

But on radio airwaves and websites yesterday, this question repeatedly was raised: Closure from what?

Numerous Sox fans noted that on Opening Day 1987, Buckner's first appearance after his Game 6 error in the 1986 World Series, he was given a standing ovation, and that scene repeated itself in 1990, when Buckner was brought back for a last hurrah.

"I kind of suspected the fans were going to give him a hand," manager Joe Morgan said at the time about the team's opener in 1990. "But I didn't think it would be forever. It was as long as any I've ever heard."

Buckner marveled that final season at how many ovations he received, one of the loudest coming after he hit an inside-the-park home run, the final home run of his career. "It surprised me the way it's turned around," Buckner said at the time.

"I challenge anyone in the media or anywhere else to produce a tape of Bill Buckner being booed at Fenway after October 1986," a poster with the handle "xjack" wrote on the Sons of Sam Horn chatboard. "In fact, I bet the ovations at the home openers in '87 and '90 were louder than yesterday's."

It was also noted that Buckner has profited from the error, making joint appearances at card shows with Mookie Wilson, the Mets batter whose ground ball Buckner missed. Various websites offer baseballs, photos, and posters autographed by both men, baseballs on one site going for more than $200.

Buckner, who wiped away tears before delivering the ceremonial first pitch, pointedly referred to the media in his postgame comments.

"I really had to forgive, not the fans of Boston, per se, but in my heart, I had to forgive the media for what they put me and my family through," he said. "I've done that, and I'm over that and I'm just happy."

Timlin ready to return

Mike Timlin made what is expected to be his final rehab appearance in Pawtucket last night, retiring all three batters he faced on ground balls. Timlin threw 10 pitches, seven for strikes, in working the sixth inning. He is expected to be activated tomorrow night for the start of the Yankees series . . . The best thing about the Outstanding Rookie Award - voted on by the players - that was presented last night to Dustin Pedroia by Kevin Youkilis? The $20,000 the Major League Baseball Players Trust is awarding the Little League in Pedroia's hometown of Woodland, Calif. . . . The Sox assigned righthander Miguel Asencio from extended spring training to Double A Portland. Asencio was signed in January as a minor league free agent after spending 2007 in the Astros organization. He has a 7-8 record with a 5.12 ERA in 42 big league appearances with the Royals and Rockies . . . Manager Terry Francona acknowledged that Curt Schilling has not progressed to the point where he can play catch. "We're trying to get him to a point to where when he does start throwing, he can legitimately go out and use the baseball and not go backwards in terms of arm strength," Francona said. "I think [assistant trainer] Mike Reinold feels like he's done a good job. He's not there yet."

Colon on hold

The Sox have elected to keep Bartolo Colon from throwing for at least a couple of more days after the righthander, who has a strained oblique muscle, was examined by team doctors yesterday, Francona said. Colon is eligible to come off Pawtucket's seven-day disabled list tomorrow, but that isn't going to happen. He'll be examined again tomorrow before being given the green light to throw . . . Jacoby Ellsbury made his first Fenway start of 2008, batting eighth and playing center field. He walked to force in a run in the second, walked again in his next plate appearance, then flied out and hit into a fielder's choice in the ninth, when the Sox loaded the bases against former Boston reliever Todd Jones but failed to score, Kevin Youkilis popping out to end the game . . . Youkilis gave the Sox a scare in the second when he took Carlos Guillen's smash off his chest, momentarily knocking him off his feet, but he remained in the game . . . While a Sox official confirmed that someone's derriere other than the one belonging to Jonathan Papelbon was repeatedly slapped in a clever commercial for Dunkin' Donuts, the Sox closer was playing coy. "Hollywood doesn't tell its secrets," Papelbon said with a wide smile. The ad, shot in Florida during spring training, features Papelbon receiving postgame congratulatory slaps from a conga line of fans that has made its way into the dugout.

Horsing around

As bad as the Tigers are going, they're still doing better than Jim Leyland's thoroughbreds, as Tom Gage of the Detroit News makes clear in recounting this conversation with the manager.

"Their names are My Miss Kellie [for his daughter] and Little River Bob [for his friend who trains them]," Leyland said. "They're a year old. At this point, I don't know if they can even run around a merry-go-round."

His third horse had been named Legendary Lloyd (for Leyland's friend, Tigers hitting coach Lloyd McClendon).

"He ran through a fence," Leyland said.

He what?

"He ran through a fence, tore himself up, and had to be put down," Leyland said. "As in down and out."