Steve Bartman Incident

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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. Castillo walked on a pitch that was not a wild pitch; Juan Pierre advanced to second on a stolen base, then to third on a wild pitch by Mark Prior on the first pitch to the next batter, Ivan Rodriguez. 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 inning and lost the game 8–3. They also lost Game 7 at Wrigley Field the following day and were eliminated by the Marlins.

In Their Own Story

On October 14, 2003, Mark Prior had allowed only three hits and no runs entering the eighth inning. With Juan Pierre on second base and Castillo at bat, a pop foul rose into left field. Bartman, wearing a green turtleneck and Cubs cap, sat in the front row near the bullpen wall. As Alou reached for the ball, Bartman's hand slapped it away. The umpire called no interference, keeping the inning alive. Immediately, Castillo drew a walk on a wild pitch from Prior, advancing Pierre to third. Iván Rodríguez singled to cut the lead to 3–1. Alex Gonzalez mishandled a ground ball by Miguel Cabrera that could have ended the inning; instead, bases loaded. Derrek Lee doubled, tying the game and forcing out Prior. Kyle Farnsworth issued an intentional walk to Mike Lowell, then gave up a sacrifice fly to Jeff Conine for a 4–3 Marlins lead. Sammy Sosa missed a cut-off man, allowing Lowell to reach second. Another intentional walk loaded the bases again before Mike Mordecai hit a bases-clearing double, making it 7–3. Mike Remlinger entered and allowed a single by Pierre, finalizing an 8–3 score. Castillo popped out to end the inning. The Marlins scored eight runs on twelve batters.

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.

Did You Know?

• In 2011 ESPN released an original documentary on the incident called 'Catching Hell'.
• The umpire ruled no interference, so Castillo was not called out.
• Bartman received four death threats after the Cubs' loss in the series.