Steve Bartman
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Steve Bartman (top middle wearing black sweatshirt) reaches to catch the foul ball hit by Luis Castillo that made him infamous |
Steve Bartman (born
1977) is a resident of the
Chicago area and a
University of Notre Dame alumnus who gained notoriety on the evening of
October 14,
2003, for possibly preventing a play on a foul pop-up in Game 6 of the
National League Championship Series between the
Chicago Cubs and the
Florida Marlins at
Wrigley Field.
At the time of the incident,
Mark Prior was pitching a three-hit shutout for the Cubs. The Cubs were leading 3-0 and were five outs away from reaching the
World Series for the first time since
1945, and possibly winning it for the first time since
1908.
Bartman, a lifelong Cubs fan, was sitting in a box seat (aisle 4, row 8, seat 113) in the front row along the left field corner wall behind the bullpen, when a pop foul fly off the bat of
Luis Castillo drifted toward his seat with one out and runner on base in the
eighth inning. Cubs left fielder
Moises Alou was in position to attempt a catch, but Bartman, who was watching the ball and not the fielder, blocked the ball from Alou's glove. Alou slammed his glove down in frustration, and the Cubs argued for an interference call. Video replays showed that Alou probably would have had an opportunity to make the catch if Bartman had not reached for the ball, but also supported umpire Mike Everitt's call of no fan
interference. The ball appeared to be over the seats when the incident occurred; the rules of baseball clearly specify that fan interference cannot be called on any ball hit into the stands. Only if a
spectator reaches into the field of play and interferes is the fielding team entitled to legal relief.
Aftermath
For the Chicago Cubs
Following this incident, the Marlins scored eight unanswered runs. The incident seemed to break the Cubs' concentration, as evidenced by what happened afterward:
*Castillo drew a
walk and the previous runner (
Juan Pierre) advanced to
third base.
*
Ivan Rodriguez got a single to drive in the first run of the inning, making the score 3-1.
*
Miguel Cabrera hit a ground ball to
Alex Gonzalez, who fumbled the ball. Had Gonzalez fielded the ball properly, the Cubs could have ended the half-inning with a
double play.
*The Marlins scored another seven runs, taking an 8-3 lead, and eventually winning the game. The crushing blow was a three-run double by Mike Mordecai, who had begun the inning by flying out.
For Steve Bartman
Bartman had to be led away from the park under escort for his own safety. Many other fans attempted to throw garbage at him, and Bartman had to shield himself with his jacket. It is said that some Cubs fans blamed Bartman for the Cubs losing this game and, ultimately, their chance at reaching the
World Series (which the
Marlins went on to win) for the first time since
1945.
Some in the news media were more considerate than the fans were. Surveys done in the days following the incident showed that online news sources were almost unanimous in their call to forgive Bartman and urged fans to consider that one play could not account for eight runs in one inning.
According to
The Wall Street Journal, Bartman's name, as well as personal information about him, appeared on Major League Baseball's online message boards minutes after the game ended. The next day, the
Chicago Sun-Times also released his name, as well as his address and place of business (
Hewitt Associates) in an online article; the editor justified this by saying Bartman's information was already "out there." Bartman was hounded by reporters; he had his phone disconnected and did not go to work. In his defense, childhood neighbors said he was a great guy, a lifelong Cubs fan, and a
Little League coach.
The Cubs issued the following press release:
Bartman gained instant national attention, most of it negative or derogatory. Many
websites spoofing him were created, and late-night shows such as the
David Letterman and
Jay Leno shows made him the subject of many jokes. (Letterman did state, in Bartman's defense, that one play alone cannot account for three straight losses.)
Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich went as far as telling the
Chicago Sun-Times newspaper that "[Bartman] better join the
witness protection program." Others, such as
Florida governor Jeb Bush, were more benevolent: Bush offered Bartman asylum in Florida.
In the days following the incident, Bartman received offers to do movies or talk shows because of his sudden celebrity. But he declined all such offers (see: Patrick-"Bartman" interview discussed below), and donated the gifts already given to him to the
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in the name of
Ron Santo, a former Cubs third baseman turned broadcaster who is afflicted with the disease. Calling this his "final statement," it seems Bartman intends to return to obscurity.
Bartman said, "I look forward to, and expect to return to my normal life activities, including cheering our beloved Cubs toward many more exciting postseasons of play." As of
July 2005, Bartman still lives and works in the Chicago area.
The loose ball was snatched up by a Chicago lawyer and sold at an auction in December.
Grant DePorter purchased it for $113,824.16 on behalf of
Harry Caray's Restaurant Group. On
February 26,
2004, it was publicly exploded in a procedure designed by Cubs fan and
Academy Award winning special effects expert
Michael Lantieri.
In
2005, the remains of the ball were creatively used by the restaurant in a pasta sauce. While no part of the ball itself was in the sauce, the ball was boiled and the steam captured, distilled, and added to the final concoction.
Bartman became a
scapegoat for the Cubs' failure to advance to the World Series. Part of the intrigue of sports is the tendency among some fans and writers to ascribe supernatural characteristics to teams. Teams that seem to win frequently, such as the
New York Yankees, or the
University of Notre Dame, are said to have a "mystique" or "aura" about them. Teams that seem to fall short frequently, such as the Cubs or (until
2004) the
Boston Red Sox, are said to be "cursed" or "jinxed." In specific cases, disappointed fans may look for a scapegoat, be it
Bill Buckner or the
team owner who sold
Babe Ruth, in the case of the Red Sox; Bartman; or
an actual goat, as with the Cubs in decades past.
This presumed phenomenon seems to take on mythological or even religious overtones, specifically the idea that external forces are involved in a team's success or failure. Some fans and writers embrace this theory. Others argue that winning is largely a product of investment in talent, combined with appropriate leadership. Luck may play a part, but as player development guru
Branch Rickey once said,
"Luck is the residue of
design."
* "Bartman" has entered the sports
lexicon, referring to any fan who interacts with players during a game.
* The direct-to-
DVD Family Guy movie,
Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story, lampooned the incident. In the movie,
Stewie urged Bartman to go after the foul ball, saying "it's just a foul ball, what's the worst that could happen?".
* An episode of
The Suite Life of Zack and Cody called "
Big Hair & Baseball" on
Disney Channel was based entirely on the incident.
* In Chicago, and around the nation, children and adults alike dressed up as Bartman for
Halloween in 2003, wearing a Cubs cap, baseball glove, and Bartman's trademark headphones.
* A
Law & Order episode titled "Vendetta" was inspired by, but not necessarily based upon, this event.
* Bartman was featured on
Late Night with Conan O'Brien where O'Brien took a trip through Chicago and beat up Bartman with a baseball bat. An actor playing Bartman was also one of the characters to enter the stage during the 2004
"Central Time Zone New Year's Countdown" skit.
* Farcing the perceived effect that Bartman's catch had on the game, humor publication
The Onion included the following in a sidebar on steroids in baseball: "2003: During a pivotal NLCS playoff game, steroids-crazed Cubs fan Steve Bartman runs onto the field of play and crushes a bases-loaded double for the opposing team, giving the Marlins the lead and ruining the Cubs World Series hopes."
* Popular Chicago comedy house
Second City spoofed Bartman in a sketch where an actor playing him prevents a group of firemen from catching a baby being dropped from a burning building.
*Bartman was mentioned in episode two of the third season of
Entourage. In the episode,
Ari Gold says, "Baby, it wasn't the Cubs fault when that douchebag grabbed the foul ball either, but they don't get a World Series ring. There are no asterisks in this life, only scoreboards."
Jeremy Piven, who plays Ari Gold, is a
Chicago native and an avid Cubs fan.
*On "The Tonight Show" Jay Leno had a skit that lampooned the play. While doing "Midnight Confessions" Leno talked to one fan who had attended a major league baseball game in which he had been offered the chance to catch 3 baseballs thrown at him in order to win a slice of pizza for everyone at the ballpark. The fan had failed, but Leno offered him the chance to win pizza for everyone in the studio that night. When the first baseball was thrown to the fan, one of the spectators in the lower rows wearing a Cubs hat interfered with the throw, in a similar manner to which Bartman did.
*On an episode of
According to Jim, which is based in Chicago, the lead character Jim has to hide Bartman in their home after the incident during the opening sequence. Jim uses this to make up new names for Bartman, all of which poked fun at Bartman "ruining" the game.
*
The Inning*
Jeffrey Maier*
BBC article*Wayne Drehs, ESPN.com "E ticket," July 9-10, 2005
Foul Play: On the Trail of the Most Reclusive Man in Sports.
*
Box score and play-by-play of the "Bartman Game"*
YouTube Clip of SportsCenter's Patrick-"Bartman" Interview
