Steve Bartman Incident

The controversial fan interference that changed Cubs history.

The Steve Bartman incident was a controversial play that occurred during a baseball game between the Chicago Cubs and the Florida Marlins on October 14, 2003, at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois, during Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2003 postseason. The play involved multiple spectators attempting to catch a fly ball and potentially affecting the outcome of the game.

Quick Facts

Date: October 14, 2003
Event: National League Championship Series
Venue: Wrigley Field
Team involved: Chicago Cubs
Key player: Moisés Alou
Fan involved: Steve Bartman

Lore & Background

The incident occurred in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series (NLCS), with Chicago leading 3–0 in the eighth inning and holding a three-games-to-two lead in the best-of-seven series. Marlins batter Luis Castillo hit a fly ball into foul territory in left field. Cubs outfielder Moisés Alou attempted to make the catch near the wall, but multiple Cubs fans reached for the ball and Steve Bartman deflected it. The umpire judged the play not to be fan interference.

(If the play was found to be fan interference, Castillo would have been called out.) If Alou had caught the ball, it would have been the second out in the inning, and the Cubs would have been just four outs away from winning their first National League pennant since 1945. Alou showed displeasure at the ball not being catchable due to home fan interference, throwing his glove to the ground. Following the ruling of no interference, the Cubs' defense collapsed.

On the very next pitch, Mark Prior threw a wild pitch that walked Castillo and let Juan Pierre reach third base. After a run-scoring single by Rodriguez to cut the Cubs' lead to 3–1, Cubs shortstop Alex Gonzalez mishandled a ground ball by Miguel Cabrera that could have resulted in an inning-ending double play. The Cubs ultimately allowed eight runs in the eighth inning, turning a 3–0 lead into an 8–3 deficit, and lost the game 8–3. They also lost Game 7 at Wrigley Field the following day and were eliminated by the Marlins.

Reader's Guide

In the moments following the play, Cubs fans shouted insults and threw debris at Bartman, despite him being one of multiple fans lunging for the ball. For his safety, Wrigley security was forced to escort him from the ballpark. Minutes after the game, his name and personal information were published online, necessitating police protection at his home. He faced further harassment, including four death threats, from fans and the media after the Cubs' loss in the series. Bartman apologized for the incident and stated his desire to move past it and return to a quiet life. Many Cubs players came to his defense, emphasizing that their performance was to blame for their loss. To compensate Bartman for his treatment, the Cubs sent him a championship ring after the team's victory in the 2016 World Series 13 years later.