Why the Cubs need to keep losing

[Langdon Alger]

I realize that and say that they were all wrong. Bartman's hands are the ones that touched it though, so him getting some flack was not unfair at all. They went way way too far, but its not something that should've just been a non story. He shouldn't have reached for the ball, none of the fans should have.

Fans go to games to try and catch foul balls. Would you have a problem if a fan did the same thing in April? It's not like he reached out that far, and let's be honest here, he probably had his eye on the ball the whole time, meaning maybe he didn't notice Alou. Maybe he should have been more aware, but these things can happen at baseball games.

I get Cubs fans we're upset, but it's not all Bartman's fault. They were up 3-1 in the series and up 3-1 in game 6 going into the eighth inning. We're not going to blame the team at all?

I wouldn't have minded if people yelled at him, but death threats? I really feel for the guy, and I would think even those who were tough on him back then would feel differently about it 13 years later. I'm sure some do, but those who are still mad at him and say he deserve what he got are just wrong.

 

[Hire Sather]

Fans go to games to try and catch foul balls. Would you have a problem if a fan did the same thing in April? It's not like he reached out that far, and let's be honest here, he probably had his eye on the ball the whole time, meaning maybe he didn't notice Alou. Maybe he should have been more aware, but these things can happen at baseball games.

I get Cubs fans we're upset, but it's not all Bartman's fault. They were up 3-1 in the series and up 3-1 in game 6 going into the eighth inning. We're not going to blame the team at all?

I wouldn't have minded if people yelled at him, but death threats? I really feel for the guy, and I would think even those who were tough on him back then would feel differently about it 13 years later. I'm sure some do, but those who are still mad at him and say he deserve what he got are just wrong.

Yes I would. It's something I scream about all the time. Infuriates me to see fans reach out and try to take balls out of play. They should be tossed straight away every time that it happens.

 

[Eb]

Yes I would. It's something I scream about all the time. Infuriates me to see fans reach out and try to take balls out of play. They should be tossed straight away every time that it happens.

I thought the ball was out of play? I.e. no fan interference.

 

[Quid Pro Clowe]

I thought the ball was out of play? I.e. no fan interference.

It was, but Sather has his opinion anyway.

 

[Hire Sather]

Balls out of play, or catchable balls that are in foul territory. Whatever, he needs to get out of the way.

 

[Langdon Alger]

Yes I would. It's something I scream about all the time. Infuriates me to see fans reach out and try to take balls out of play. They should be tossed straight away every time that it happens.

I have more of a problem with fans reaching onto the field of play. Remember that kid in New York who interfered on a deep fly ball and reached over to catch it? Clear fan interference, but it helped the home team, so people loved him.

If the ball is in the stands a fan has a right to try and catch it. So does the player, but I can't get too mad at what Bartman did. Unfortunately, his actions cost the home team. He still took too much of the blame for the loss in my opinion though. Not his fault Gonzalez booted a ball that same inning.

 

[Eb]

I have more of a problem with fans reaching onto the field of play. Remember that kid in New York who interfered on a deep fly ball and reached over to catch it? Clear fan interference, but it helped the home team, so people loved him.

If the ball is in the stands a fan has a right to try and catch it. So does the player, but I can't get too mad at what Bartman did. Unfortunately, his actions cost the home team. He still took too much of the blame for the loss in my opinion though. Not his fault Gonzalez booted a ball that same inning.

And the hideous leprochaun in Kansas City last year too.

 

[PG Canuck]

You know your team is crap when you blame a fan for touching a foul ball for your teams collapse later on. Not catching a foul ball shattered that whole Cubs team - that's likely the saddest thing I've ever seen, while also being the most hilarious thing ive seen.

A non-caught foul ****ing ball cost them a series lead of 3-1, a ****ing foul ball. Yeah, right.

Go Indians Go.

 

[Bizarro Bandwagoner]

It was indeed disgraceful how Bartman was treated. That said, what happened in 2003 should have no bearing on this year's team or any future Cubs team. I'm sure Steve, wherever he is, is still rooting for them.

Go Cubs Go!
#KBIB

Screw that, I'd root for another couple generations to die without seeing the Cubs win after what they did to him.

 

[DoyleG]

Balls out of play, or catchable balls that are in foul territory. Whatever, he needs to get out of the way.

Posts like these pretty much make we want the Indians to win the series.

Down with the jerks.

 

[Langdon Alger]

You know your team is crap when you blame a fan for touching a foul ball for your teams collapse later on. Not catching a foul ball shattered that whole Cubs team - that's likely the saddest thing I've ever seen, while also being the most hilarious thing ive seen.

A non-caught foul ****ing ball cost them a series lead of 3-1, a ****ing foul ball. Yeah, right.

Go Indians Go.

That's what one hundred years of losing does. You blame fans, goats, beer vendors, whoever.

I mean, it certainly played a factor in losing that game, but they were up 3-0 going into the eight inning, and up 3-1 in the series. Honestly, Alou's reaction didn't help things. Can't blame him for being upset, but it didn't help.

I hope wherever Bartman is, he's happy and his family is too. Nobody deserved that.

 

[blueandgoldguy]

A decade-and-a-half ago I would have cheered for the Cubs but there awful treatment of Bartman cannot be overlooked. Every team had their share of bad eggs but it's quite clear that Chicago has a disproportionately larger number than most fanbases. They are up there with the Philadelphias of the world.

With a dominant win tonight Cleveland has a stranglehold on this series. Now there is a hard luck fanbase I can route for. Just imagine a city with no championships in nearly 70 years and they will have 2 within a 5-month time span. Pretty cool.

 

[JS19]

Yes I would. It's something I scream about all the time. Infuriates me to see fans reach out and try to take balls out of play. They should be tossed straight away every time that it happens.

As some have already posted:

Remind me how it was even close? Perspective is a hell of a concept.

Also, why do you keep vilifying Bartman for what he did, when it's absolutely clear that the team **** the bed? This is literally making excuses 101, especially when fans catching the ball will always be a part of the game.

 

[DoyleG]

As some have already posted:

Remind me how it was even close? Perspective is a hell of a concept.

Also, why do you keep vilifying Bartman for what he did, when it's absolutely clear that the team **** the bed? This is literally making excuses 101, especially when fans catching the ball will always be a part of the game.

He's just being a jerk who doesn't care about the actual facts.

The umpires were on site and could've signaled fan interference, but didn't.

 

[c9777666]

Seeing all these Cleveland 'Fans' come out of nowhere.... sorry, but I can't in good conscience be happy for a fanbase that didn't show up all year (Indians had 3rd worst attendance in MLB this year, a far cry from the 90s sellouts at Jacobs Field)

And how many of these Cavaliers 'Fans' were Lakers/Heat fans a few years ago?

Cleveland is Bandwagon USA- They only show up when it's the postseason.

Cubs fans are loyal to the core- Indians fans were nowhere to be found in June when the team won 14 straight.

 

[Tecumseh]

Indian fans are also loyal to the core. MOD

 

[JS19]

I wonder how KrisBryantisbestt feels about Bryant's postseason performance. That error last night was atrocious defending.

 

[KesselBuiltMyHotrod]

Bartman did nothing wrong.

 

[canucksfan]

Baker left Prior in way too long. Gonzalez missed made an error that could have been a double play.

 

[Hire Sather]

Posts like these pretty much make we want the Indians to win the series.

Down with the jerks.

I mean, I want the Indians to win too, I hate the Cubs.

 

[Hire Sather]

As some have already posted:

Remind me how it was even close? Perspective is a hell of a concept.

Also, why do you keep vilifying Bartman for what he did, when it's absolutely clear that the team **** the bed? This is literally making excuses 101, especially when fans catching the ball will always be a part of the game.

Why does it have to be part of the game? Get out of the way. Put your hands in front of your face, not reach out to try to catch the ball. Why does he have to catch it? Why? It's not his ball.

It's not just this play. If there's one thing in baseball that infuriates me, as I've said, is when fans do this.

Get your hands out of the way, let the fielder have a chance at the ball. You aren't playing, if the ball has a prayer of being caught you are wrong for trying to catch it.

You can't blame him entirely for the loss. But how can you say he didn't do anything wrong? Like I've said maybe Alou doesn't catch it. I might even go as far as to say he probably doesn't catch it. Bartman is still at fault for making it impossible to be caught.

Reasons the Cubs lost the game, in no particular order: Gonzalez booted a routine DP ball. Baker left Prior in too long. A fan reached out his arms and made contact with a catchable ball in left field.

 

[Dr Pepper]

Why does it have to be part of the game? Get out of the way. Put your hands in front of your face, not reach out to try to catch the ball. Why does he have to catch it? Why? It's not his ball.

It's not just this play. If there's one thing in baseball that infuriates me, as I've said, is when fans do this.

Get your hands out of the way, let the fielder have a chance at the ball. You aren't playing, if the ball has a prayer of being caught you are wrong for trying to catch it.

You can't blame him entirely for the loss. But how can you say he didn't do anything wrong? Like I've said maybe Alou doesn't catch it. I might even go as far as to say he probably doesn't catch it. Bartman is still at fault for making it impossible to be caught.

Reasons the Cubs lost the game, in no particular order: Gonzalez booted a routine DP ball. Baker left Prior in too long. A fan reached out his arms and made contact with a catchable ball in left field.

Some people forget that they didn't lose the series on that play, either.

Sure, it opened the floodgates to an eight-run inning, but that was only Game 6! The Cubs totally **** the bed in Game 7, with Bartman already a pariah and nowhere near the stadium.

I wonder who they'll blame this year, for their team's shortcomings.

 

[iamjs]

Why does it have to be part of the game? Get out of the way. Put your hands in front of your face, not reach out to try to catch the ball. Why does he have to catch it? Why? It's not his ball.

Oh, stop it. It's human instinct to catch it, and in some cases, self-defense.

I prevented a kid from getting dotted with a foul ball several years ago by catching a shot down the first base line. Had I put my hands up to cover my face, his day would have been ruined. Who knows, if I put my hands up, maybe I would have been hit in the face or jaw and my day would have been ruined.

I know you're really set on this logic and my post won't do anything to change your view, but cover your face?

 

[JS19]

Why does it have to be part of the game? Get out of the way. Put your hands in front of your face, not reach out to try to catch the ball. Why does he have to catch it? Why? It's not his ball.

It's not just this play. If there's one thing in baseball that infuriates me, as I've said, is when fans do this.

Get your hands out of the way, let the fielder have a chance at the ball. You aren't playing, if the ball has a prayer of being caught you are wrong for trying to catch it.

You can't blame him entirely for the loss. But how can you say he didn't do anything wrong? Like I've said maybe Alou doesn't catch it. I might even go as far as to say he probably doesn't catch it. Bartman is still at fault for making it impossible to be caught.

Reasons the Cubs lost the game, in no particular order: Gonzalez booted a routine DP ball. Baker left Prior in too long. A fan reached out his arms and made contact with a catchable ball in left field.

Is it an infuriating thing when it happens? Of course, you're talking to a guy whose team was on the ******** end of this call:



But the thing is, a lot of people come to baseball games hoping to get a souvenir (or if you're cynical, they do so to tip the scales in their/against their favour). You're completely unrealistic if you think people will act robotic and keep their hands out of the way. Especially when there are limits as to what's a fair ball for the fielder and what constitutes catching the ball "at their own risk." Even worse so when MLB umps should be calling fan interference only to refuse to do so in certain cases (fan interference on a Cano HR ball in the ALCS is one of many after MLB started implementing replays). Whether the Bartman incident should be ruled fan interference is a debate, but with the information we have, this isn't a fan interference call IMO. If MLB really wants to make an impact, then they should consider redesigning stadiums so that there's ample space between the fans and the fielder where a possible play could occur, but we all know that's never going to happen.

I say he didn't do saying wrong because that ball was far out of bounds from Alou's glove. He wasn't going to catch the ball even if he thought he had a 1,000,000% chance in doing so. Bartman was doing what anybody in that seat would have done (also worth noting that other people were also after that same ball), and as a result, has been made a scapegoat of something that isn't even his fault. Like I've been saying countless times now: Bartman isn't responsible for Gonzalez fluffing a routine double play ball. Bartman isn't responsible for 8 or so runs given up in the 8th. And people love to forget this detail, but Bartman isn't responsible for Chicago losing Game 7 and ultimately the series. Pinning Bartman as the (or one of the) reason(s) why Chicago lost is being ignorant to all the details that paint the 2003 Cubs as a mentally weak choker.

 

[Dr Pepper]

Ugh, still hate that kid.

It was fan interference and even the announcers throughout the game knew it. Think they even had reporters try to interview the kid and get him to admit that he reached into the field of play to catch it. Royals really caught a lucky break there.

Bad as that was, it still wasn't as blatant as Jeffrey Maier's catch that screwed over the Orioles.