It was a great time to be a baseball fan in Chicago during 2003 unless you were on the South Side. I remember following the Cubs trip to the playoffs with the excitement of someone who didn't have a vested interest besides wanting to see a Cubs-Red Sox World Series so the Cubs fans could finally get the monkey off their backs and Red Sox fans could come within touching distance of the prize before having it ripped away once again.
I was sitting in a Chicago bar with a friend watching Game 6 and everything was on track until the Bartman. At least that's what most people think. Everyone remembers some guy reaching out and interfering with Moises Alou as he tried to make a catch. The ball fell foul and the Cubs' dream of reaching the World Series immediately fell into the toilet. Everyone blames Steve Bartman for the Cubs losing that Series but most forget Alex Gonzalez committing a colossal fuckup error that led to eight runs instead of closing out the inning. It was also Game 6 but everyone including myself knew the Cubs weren't winning Game 7.
Five years later, Moises Alou has finally admitted that there was no way he would have caught that ball. Really, dude? It must have taken so much for you to come forward. Saying that earlier might have saved Bartman from the death threats and pariah status he still carries instead of saying that you hoped he didn't regret it the rest of his life. Shit, Salman Rushdie comes out in public and he has a fatwa against him. When was the last time anyone saw Bartman? He's become the chupacabra of Chicago.
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