The faithful returned to Fenway Park on Monday afternoon, optimism at a typical high. Pedro was pitching, Nomar and Jason Varitek were healthy. Manny was happy, Rickey was signed. The skies were blue. The new owners were shaking hands.

The old Red Sox regime was nothing more than a memory. Until someone recognized Dan Duquette.

There he was. The man who had become public enemy No. 1, now sitting among the very masses who wished him gone -- in every sense of the word. Instead, he was back, sitting in the front row, in seats he bought himself, with a smile on his face.

By phone during Boston's 12-11 Opening Day loss to Toronto, Duquette said the fan reaction had been positive. And why not -- the fans got their wish. They have as good a team to root for as they've had since Duquette took over as general manager -- and they no longer have to deal with him.

Don't cry for Duquette, a man who has done what so few of us can claim to have done: worked at his dream job. Of course, that job, as of spring training, isn't his any more.

The fact that Duquette purchased season tickets is a testament to his loyalty to the Red Sox. Duquette is not a people person -- it helped cost him his job -- but he is and always has been a Red Sox fan. He is proud of his accomplishments, the playoff appearances, the trades, the signings. He is particularly pleased with the team that was announced on Monday.

Was it strange to be sitting in the stands watching his creation take the field?

"No, it's Opening Day," he said.

That says nothing, and everything, at the same time. Duquette is a man scorned, but he understands the significant role he played in the 2002 Red Sox. Buck Showalter helped manage and build last year's two World Series teams, New York and Arizona. There's an intimate relationship between the builder and what he builds. It's personal and intense, as Showalter attested to.

It's certainly that way for Duquette.

The frosty exterior which Duquette exhibited during most of his tenure belied his passion for Boston's baseball team. He said Monday that the day he was fired, he felt as if he'd be back. The offseason moves he made, the team's won-loss record under his watch, the increase in attendance both in Boston and in Fort Myers during spring training were enough in his mind to ensure he'd stay with the organization, if not as general manager then at least in another capacity.

There have been offers to serve as a consultant with a variety of teams but he's not taken any of them. Duquette's family has become firmly rooted in the suburbs of Boston. He told his wife and children that "regardless of what happens with the Red Sox, I promise we won't move."

Since his firing Duquette has been busy. He's purchased 130 acres of land in Western Massachusetts, along with his brother. His plan is to open a baseball and basketball academy. He'd like to summer on Cape Cod. He's going to serve as an assistant coach on his son's Little League team.

Has he learned from his mistakes? That would suggest he admits to making some, and he's not willing to do that. The job of a general manager, in his mind, is to build a winning team, not winning relationships.

Time will tell if the 2002 version of the Red Sox will be successful. Time has already suggested that Duquette has adjusted. You can take the title out of his life, but you can't take the team. He no longer has the power to affect change, he's just like the other 30,000 people who pay to watch the hometown team.

Dan Duquette is a fan, believing he's much smarter than any manager or general manager.

Karl Ravech is the host of ESPN's Baseball Tonight