Steve Bartman and the Headphones

Zapster · Oct 16, 2003

Here is one angle I haven't seen covered.

In Bartman's statement, he says that he had no idea Alou was anywhere near the ball and if he had known that he would have let the ball go.

Wellll.....Stevie Boy, just WHAT was coming out of those headphones you were wearing ?? If he was listening to the game, the sure as hell the announcers were saying something about Alou having a play. If he was listening to Mettalica or whatever, he had no business being in the front row at Wrigley to begin with.

Assuming he was indeed listening to the game, that makes his "brokenhearted Cubs fan" statement a lie. I could MAYBE understand getting caught up in the moment of trying to grab a souvenier. Maybe. But at least be honest and have the sack to admit what you did.

Enjoy life in Florida Stevie....try not to get eaten by alligators.

max1234 · Oct 16, 2003

I guess the announcer on the radio mentioned that Alou was going to jump over the rail and catch the ball...

. Everyone in the are was reaching for that ball. It's a common reaction and blaming him for the Cub's choke act is silly.

LogansRun · Oct 16, 2003

COME ON MAX!!!!!!

Everyone knows Bartman was on the mound throwing meatballs to Mordecai, Pudge, Conine et al. And that was him muffing the DP ball. It is a simple causal chain of events:
foul ball out of play => 8 run inning => choke in game 7.

q.e.d.

sickgambler · Oct 16, 2003

logan,

Of course we all know it wasn't Steve Barfman's fault, as he did what 98% of any fan would have done. It was his instincts that made him try to catch that ball. But the fans love to point the finger at anyone for a loss. Blaming that kid is silly.. There's a lot more people you can blame for that loss, definitely not that kid..

LogansRun · Oct 16, 2003

I concur in spades, sick!

I don't recall Bartman being paid millions by the Flubs to field routine DP balls or pitch in relief. Let's just say he's a built-in excuse for a bunch of choke artists managed by a goat.

I think the percentage would be closer to 99.9% rather than 98% although that percentage will vary but it will definitely be lower in certain Illinois counties - next year.

dee · Oct 16, 2003

BARTMAN DID NOT COST THE GAME HE JUST HELPED FLA. WITH AN EXTRA OUT, THE SHORTSTOP GAVE ONE TOO. CUBS GAVE THE FISH 5 OUTS THAT INNING AND IT COST THEM THE PENNANT. SAD BUT TRUE.

LogansRun · Oct 16, 2003

sorry dee, but that argument doesn't wash. How does a missed foul ball cost them anything, especially when there are 8 runs in that inning and a full 9 innings for game 7? You could make the same argument that if Sammy had swing his bat a microsecond earlier and 1/8" higher on any pitch he fouls off, he could have hit a home run. There was no error or fan interference recorded on the play so there is no extra out. Gonzo's error - now that's an extra out!

sickgambler · Oct 16, 2003

and remember, it's not like that kid put his arm out in play and literally took it out of Moises glove. Christ, that ball was in the stands clearly. Since when is there a rule saying that a fan cannot go for a ball that is hit to him where he is sitting in his seat. Plus, like I said, it was instinct, and everyone of us would have done the same thing. Everything there happened so fast, that its easy now to say I would have let Alou make the catch, because I bet it was impossible to judge if Alou was there or not.. The kids eyes were on the ball, not Alou..

But because of this, the poor kid's life is over now because Chicago fans are crazy and they will now hurt this kid.. Cubs were finally in the world series and now, they blame this kid for what happened. I'd hate to be Steve Barfman right now.. Gotta be the unluckiest guy in the world.. This is all like one big nightmare for him. I'm sure it hasn't hit him yet what has just happened to him in the last 36 hrs..

BigGamesOnly · Oct 16, 2003

Where was Steve Bartman in game 7? I just know he had something to do with the Marlins scoring 9 runs in that game!

Or wait, maybe the Marlins scored 9 runs in game 7 and 8 runs in the 8th inning of game 6 because they are a pretty damn good ball club.

CharlieMaxwell · Oct 16, 2003

Maybe Bartman had a short-wave radio and was getting directions from the Marlins bench as to where Alou was. This all could be one big baseball conspiracy

lander · Oct 16, 2003

Any truth to the rumor that Bartman is Jeffery Meyer's older step-brother?

earl · Oct 16, 2003

what a minute logan dee was just making a point regarding the out that would have occured. have you seen the replay? without a doubt it was in alou's glove with no interference. you dispute that?

eh · Oct 16, 2003

LogansRun · Oct 16, 2003

earl, it wasn't as if the ball was in the glove and Bartman knocked it out. The ball is in the stands and he has every right to it as evidenced by the other hands reaching for it. There is no such thing as a coulda-for-sure-out-but-for-the-deflection especially when it comes to Alou. It could have just as easily bounced off the heel of his glove. Did it take away an opportunity for an out? Maybe. But why should that have any bearing on Wood's pitching in game 7 or the Flubs inability to hit Beckett for 4 innings? Why should that even matter when Prior issues a walk and Mordecai doubles in 3 runs? The Flubs still have to get 5 (or 7

) outs to get to the WS. They didn't take care of business; the Marlins did. To pin a SEVEN game series loss on a non-coulda-maybe-shoulda-if-only play that actually didn't occur is just an excuse. Maybe the Flubs should look in the mirror and ask themselves how could they have lost 3 consecutive games with their two best pitchers back to back.

jateeluv · Oct 16, 2003

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by lander:
Any truth to the rumor that Bartman is Jeffery Meyer's older step-brother?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

No re-visiting the past!!! Orioles fan in the building.

sds · Oct 16, 2003

GLAD to hear some sanity. I am tired of READING the papers and seeing writers on this "Burn-Bartman" wagon. I agree with everything stated here. Millions of dollars in talent and hired arms on the mound and they choked/ were beaten by a good team. This pinning the loss of a 7 game series on one poor fan who sat 200 feet away and had a ball hit right into his seat is laughable. And this without mentioning that there were MANY OTHER fans reaching into his seat for that same ball!
Cubs fans....with all due respect.....have a beer and give the Marlins their dues. Chicago had a great season. Good luck next year.

sds

Zapster · Oct 16, 2003

I don't disagree that 99 percent of fans' first reaction is to go for the ball. I bring my glove to every game I go to and second to a win for my team (Angels season seat holder) my hope is to get a foul ball.

So it isn't that he reached for the ball that causes my contempt for him.....it is his apparent dishonesty in how he spun it afterwards.

As for why they lost the game....sure the Gonzalez error....and especially Dusty Baker's managerial ineptitude (let me take another chance to thank him for last year's World Series win for my Angels) were key factors. No denying any of that. But the fact remains that if Alou catches that ball, everything lines up differently and the Cubs most likely are en route to the World Series.

I'm not a Cub fan.....I had money on them.....so my lack of objectivity (if that's what it is) stems from losing a bet. By Sunday I will be thinking NFL and the loss will be behind me. But Cub fans.....well they are REALLY taking this personally.

So if we can argue that 99% of fans will go after a fould ball, can we not also argue that say *60%* of hard core fans (and gamblers) will demand that SOMEBODY suffer when bad fortune befalls their team?

In that respect I admit I am not being objective when I bash Bartman.

But I do feel that I *am* objective when I say I feel he has not responded to this with honesty and for that he deserves the negative noteriety.

X-Files · Oct 16, 2003

Bartman was hired by the Chicago mob who
unloaded on the fish.

---------------------------------------
Sharks are as tough as those football fans who take their shirts off during games in Chicago in January, only more intelligent.
Dave Barry (1947 - )

max1234 · Oct 16, 2003

Nobody, well maybe Railbird, deserves to catch this much shit for doing something 99.9% of the fans in the stadium would have done in the same spot. From all accounts I've read, he's apologetic and scared... for what? Trying to do something we all would have done in that spot. That's BS..... if the Chubs ( that's short for choking Cubs ) would have handled their busines last nite then this would be a mute point. I promise you, no one was rooting harder for them than this kid was. Hell, he even went to see them in spring training in AZ. IF Cubs fans want to blame someone then blame Baker or Woods for throwing batting practice to Fla last nite.

gopherbob · Oct 16, 2003

this is america,
1)so in a
few weeks he'll be a celebrity,
make the talk show circuit followed
by a book and/or movie deal.
2)or he'll have a multi-million dollar lawsuit
against the cubs, mlb, and the media.