Regional Sports

Can Bartman Come Back Yet?

Let me set the scene.

October 14, 2003. Chicago, Illinois.

It was a chilly night at Wrigley Field, but the place was buzzing. The Chicago Cubs were scheduled to face the Florida Marlins in Game 6 of the NLCS. The Cubs were one win away from an appearance in the 2003 World Series. Wrigley Field was rocking, and baseball fans were ready to see if the Cubbies could take the next step towards ending the curse.

Spoiler alert: they couldn’t.

The Cubs entered the top of the eighth inning with a 3-0 lead. Mark Prior was on the bump for the Cubs, and he was pitching a gem. With Juan Pierre on second, Luis Castillo (Yes, that Luis Castillo, Mets fans.) stepped into the box. With one out, Luis Castillo worked a full count.

Everyone knows who Steve Bartman is. He is the man in the navy sweatshirt, green turtleneck, cubs hat, and headphones. Steve Bartman was sitting in the front row in left field for NLCS Game 6. Luis Castillo fouled off a 3-2 pitch from Mark Prior. Bartman stood up, noticing that the ball was drifting towards him. He did what any baseball fan would naturally do. He tried to catch the ball. There’s only one problem with that: Cubs LF Moises Alou was also trying to catch the ball. Bartman deflected the ball into the stands. It would have landed in play, or maybe even in Alou’s glove. Alou decided that the rational thing to do would be to throw a giant tantrum, so that’s what he did. The Cubs collapsed and allowed 8 runs that inning. They would lose the game, and the series after dropping Game 7 of the NLCS.

The loss was blamed on Bartman. He was removed by security, and he was harassed as Cubs fans became an infantry armed with soft pretzels and almost empty beers.

Here’s what is wrong with blaming Bartman: it’s not his fault. He interfered with one foul ball. How does that equate to him giving up 8 runs in one inning. He didn’t blow it, the Cubs did. This poor man was harassed and threatened to the point that he had to go into hiding. He went into hiding shortly after the incident, it’s been 13 years, and the world has not seen Steve Bartman. The man reacted naturally, and now he has been forced into hiding. The extension of the curse is not Bartman’s fault, it’s the Cubs’ fault. They should have owned up and confessed that they were the ones who blew it, but instead they have used Steve Bartman as a scapegoat. They have drastically impacted this poor man’s life.

Well, on Wednesday, the Cubs broke the 108 year curse that had caused endless heartache in the city of Chicago. After Kris Bryant rifled the ball across the diamond to Anthony Rizzo for the final out, an incredible amount of weight was lifted from the shoulders of members of the Cubs organization, and their fans. Steve Bartman’s spokesman said that Steve was “overjoyed” when the Cubs won. It has been 13 years since that chilly October night. The Cubs are World Series Champions. Cubs fans should be able to forgive Steve Bartman, and then they should apologize for absolutely wrecking his life. It’s time for Bartman to come out of hiding, and it’s time for him to be welcomed back with open arms.

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