Remember this guy? Yes, it's Steve Bartman. What Cubs fan could forget this play and how it lead to the total unravelling of of the Cubs playoffs against the Marlins in 2003. Time does heal all wounds, and I really have no bad feelings towards Bartman any more. Of course there was that initial anger and frustration, but in my case it was never really towards Bartman. If anything, I felt sorry for him.
I hadn't felt this bad since Billy Buckner let the ball through his legs while playing for the Red Sox in the 1986 World Series against the hated Mets. Bill Buckner was my favorite Cub and in my mind a former great Cub, like Buckner, winning the World Series might be as close as I'd ever get. Coincidentally (or maybe not), Buckner was wearing an old Cubs batting glove under his mitt at the time (see picture on Cubbies Baseball).
Back to Bartman........I can easily imagine being in his shoes; lifelong Cubs fan, your team in the playoffs and seemingly destined for the World Series for the first time in your life (and your father's and grand father's)......and you're at the game! Can you imagine how great it would feel to have a foul ball souvenir from the playoffs that year? And then, well things went horribly, unbelievably wrong. The best day, possibly best moment, of your life turned into perhaps the worst in the blink of an eye. If by any chance you don't know about Bartman, Wikipedia has the whole story.
I hope that other die hard fans, such as myself, can see it in their hearts to forgive Bartman. If he was a Marlins fan that would be a different story, but Steve is one of us. And be honest, who wouldn't have tried to catch that ball?
No comments:
Post a Comment