Man in stands described as diehard fan

Chicago Sun-Times ^ | October 15, 2003 | ANNIE SWEENEYANNIE SWEENEY, FRANK MAIN AND CHRIS FUSCO

[COURAGE]

Man in stands described as diehard fan

Chicago Sun-Times, October 15, 2003

BY ANNIE SWEENEY, FRANK MAIN AND CHRIS FUSCO

The man some fans blame for Tuesday night's Cubs loss because he reached out and touched a foul ball that Moises Alou was trying to catch is a diehard Cubs fan who coaches youth baseball in the north suburbs.

Steve Bartman, 26, works at Hewitt Associates, an international consulting firm in Lincolnshire.

"He is an associate at Hewitt, and he is not coming to work today because of the incident," Suzanne Zagata-Meraz, a spokeswoman for Hewitt, said this morning. "That was a decision that Steve and [Human Resources] made together. We have been in contact with Steve."

A man who answered the door at the Northbrook home where friends and a neighbor said Bartman grew up defended him, saying he only did what came naturally when a foul ball came his way.

"He's a huge Cubs fan," said the man, who responded to "Mr. Bartman." "I'm sure I taught him well. I taught him to catch foul balls when they come near him."

He declined to say any more and would not confirm what relation he is to Steve Bartman.

A neighbor, Ron Cohen, said he has known the Bartman family for 20 years. He and others said Bartman was a graduate of the University of Notre Dame who played for and is now a coach for the Renegades, an elite youth baseball club in Niles.

Cohen said he saw Bartman on Sunday and that Bartman told him then that he had tickets to Tuesday's game.

"He felt great he got tickets to the game," said Cohen, 63.

Cohen was watching the game on TV with his son, who grew up with "Stevie," when they recognized the man in the Renegades shirt.

"I really was just surprised," said Cohen, who called Bartman's mother. "I think it's just a natural tendency. Everybody reaches. I'm not trying to defend him, but I think it's just a natural tendency. He may not have seen Alou coming."

He described Bartman as a baseball fanatic.

"He's a good kid, a wonderful son, never in any trouble," Cohen told a Sun-Times reporter. "I don't think he should be blamed at all. People reach for balls. This just happened to be a little more critical. If Florida didn't score all the runs, you wouldn't be standing here."

A parent whose son played baseball for the Renegades last year echoed Cohen's description of Bartman.

"He was a fine guy. He was a good baseball coach to my son," said Roger Shimanovsky, 41. "Believe me, I'm sure nobody feels worse about this than him."

Bartman is listed as a coach of the Renegades' 13-year-old team this year, according to the organization's Web site.

He also was a player on a 1992 Renegades team that finished with 47 wins and 10 losses. The team was the Palatine League champion and the Pekin Fourth of July tournament champion.

The home where Bartman grew up backs up to a baseball field where his dad would hit pop-ups for him and his friends to catch, said Ron Cohen's son, Gary Cohen, 34. He said Bartman's favorite player growing up was Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg.

[COURAGE]

[doodad]

I can't believe they gave his name and workplace. That is just stupid.

[strela]

So now Idiot Cubs Fan has a name. Good.

[LanPB01]

That poor guy, sitting there with that blank look on his face, oblivious to the fact that his name, address, phone number, and life history is about to be posted all over the internet.

[JennysCool]

Steve Bartman, 26, works at Hewitt Associates, an international consulting firm in Lincolnshire.

If the Cubbies lose tonight, he might want to think about relocating to the Florida office.

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[TruthShallSetYouFree]

Publishing this guy's name and workplace is potentially more dangerous than naming Kobe's accuser. I sure hope Kerry Wood gets this poor guy off the hook.

[LanPB01]

They might as well have placed a giant "Kick Me" sign on this guy's back.

[So Cal Rocket]

Here's the infamous Cub's fan name... looking forward to your song.

[Dallas59]

Is that his Girlfiend/Wife? She is delightfull! ;-)

[Egon]

Why? Why would they release his name?

What sadistic, grudge-holding idiot decided that this guy's name should be plastered all over the nation?

I hope I don't end up reading about him in the obituaries...

[Bikers4Bush]

He'd better have good health insurance.

[wardaddy]

Well, he could be a Colombian soccer player.

hopefully not.

[cajungirl]

Oh gee,,,this guy is gonna have a really bad time of it.

[Revolting cat!]

I can't believe they gave his name and workplace.

Ah, the "public's right to know", doncha know? Some here will even tell you it's in the Bible or the Constitution or something!

[Hildy]

He just did what comes naturally. I pray nothing happens to this guy and I can't believe that I actually think something will.

[Lost Highway]

He has a Ben Stiller look about him.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

I hope he sues the paper.

[Hildy]

If the Cubs lose the championship he will have to confer with Bill Buchner as to how to live a normal life after this. I believe Buchner had to move out of Massachussetts. They made his life hell.

[af_vet_1981]

He needs a legal team to sue every person and company who threatens his life and livelihood.

[Revolting cat!]

Bartman?

[Fester Chugabrew]

[Alberta's Child]

It's not as if this play occurred with two outs in the ninth inning. The Cubs didn't need any help from the fans to misplay a ground ball and give up eight runs in the inning.

[nunoste]

"Kick Me"? Dude...he's lucky he isn't already floating in the river by now. People have been killed for a lot less in Chicago. Heck, Mayor Daley may even put the kabosh on this guy. What the f@#$ are the Chicago newspapers doing printing this guys name and place of business?
Sure hope the Cubs win, cause this guy might as well move out of town if they don't. In a town of a few million, there's bound to be one d@#$wad who will think he's a hero for putting this guy on ice. Sad.
Funny thing is, these baseball players could give two shits about you if you lost your job or your life. Its just a game.

[wardaddy]

There are two important benchmarks in civilization.

One is whether or not atheletes and sports fans who screw up royally are spared their lives.

The other is the quality of toliet paper.

This fellow will be remembered a long long time.

[Uncle Hal]

The curse of the goat.

[Bikers4Bush]

It wouldn't help him.

If the Cubs lose tonight the only thing he could possibly do is move, quickly.

[renosathug]

The paper has to take any responsibility for the Cub's loss from the players, where it ultimately belongs, and place it on a fan in the stands. Blame the fan for a team giving up eight runs in one inning. Makes sense to me. Also it keeps the reporter from having to write about any real news, such as about lying, cheating politicians.

This type is story is what passes for "news", nowadays, and is yet another reason to occupy one's time with a good book or favorite CD.

[Egon]

I hope he sues the paper.

I hope he gets the chance. I hope it's not left to his next of kin to do that.

I've seen rankled sports fanatics do some monumentally stupid things.

[sirshackleton]

More I think about this the more I feel somewhat bad for the guy. I've been to a lot of games and seen a lot of balls hit that way, and it seems like a fair amount of the time the OF will let it go. It' entirely possible it wasn't so apparent that the ball would be playable. Plus, there were plenty of other lunkheads going for it,too. Finally, these guys are professionally athletes who get paid millions. It's their job to put stuff like that out of their minds and play the game. Frankly, I'm a little embarrassed that the Cubs let that incident seemingly disrupt their entire night. Especially after the TV commentators were lauding Prior for his ability to tune things out and make his pitches.

At the same time, it was a bonehead move. Again, I've been to plenty of games were fans will gladly back away and let the play develop when they're sitting in seats like that. Not as bad as the idiots who bend over the wall to grab the roller, but still you need to be aware of what's going on.

[weegee]

Didn't the Cubs already give up the winning runs before this incident (or at least the tying runs)?

[TheExploited]

It was totally irresponsible to release this name. This is an example of "freedom of the press" gone wild.

[Bikers4Bush]

We have become a money/trophy driven society.

His desire to have a second (reports are that Alou had already thrown him a ball from earlier in the game) keepsake is going to cost him dearly.

[Bikers4Bush]

Nope, it was 3-0 prior to this. Then the floodgates opened.

Wood is the only person who can save this guys ass now.

[John H K]

I can't see where this guy has the slightest standing to sue any news outlet.

There's no legal prohibition (such as releasing the name of an alleged rape victim, or a juvenile committing a crime.)

And the article contains no slander or libel.

Interesting he turned out to be 26 years old, a college graduate, and an excellent baseball player himself.

[BlackRazor]

I hope he sues the paper.

He's probably going to lose his job over this (his company's HR department is already involved in the fiasco -- not a good sign), and he's probably going to have civil lawsuits filed against him (emotional trauma and whatnot) for causing the Cubs to lose. I haven't heard whether any criminal charges will be brought against him yet.

[//Only half tongue-in-cheek]

[af_vet_1981]

No but it might protect other citizens threatened in the future. The mob(s) take their sport(s) seriously and will kill people and ruin lives for their team(s).

[doug from upland]

I'm looking and looking but can't find the right tune yet.

[Swanks]

He also was a player on a 1992 Renegades team that finished with 47 wins and 10 losses

I'm sure HE played left field.

[jungleboy]

He'll be more famous than O'Leary's cow!

[GovernmentShrinker]

Hopefully some enterpising ad agency will find a way to use him in an ad campaign and pay him some big bucks. Then he'll be able to afford the private security detail he'll be needing for the next few years, to protect him from people who take baseball a bit too seriously.

[Egon]

I agree. He probably doesn't have standing to sue.

I feel really bad for the guy. It was a dumb move, and I'm sure he'll be kicking himself until the team actually wins a series-- maybe in another 95 years.

Still damned irresponsible on the media's part, though.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

I can't believe they gave his name and workplace. That is just stupid.

Let's go get 'im!

Just kidding.

[Tolik]

WAS Girlfiend/Wife...   </speculation>

Poor guy

[<1/1,000,000th%]

What sadistic, grudge-holding idiot decided that this guy's name should be plastered all over the nation?

It's the Sun-Times.

[Dane]

The man some fans blame for Tuesday night's Cubs loss because he reached out and touched a foul ball that Moises Alou was trying to catch is a diehard Cubs fan who coaches youth baseball in the north suburbs.

Steve Bartman, 26, works at Hewitt Associates, an international consulting firm in Lincolnshire

JMO, Steve Bartman, get on the first plane out of Chicago O'Hare.

There are a myriad of places you could go. If you want total isolation until this blows over, go to Antartica, unless of course the person who runs the scientific station is a Cubs fan.

If you want to go the victims route catch the first Air France flight to Paris. They will parade you down the Champs Elysee as a hero, for being "persecuted" by those mean no nothing Americans, who also persecuted the salt of the earth person according to the French, saddam hussein.

[mhking]

He has a name!? Oh, that's bad...

He's gonna "die-hard" all right...

[leadpencil1]

I hope I don't end up reading about him in the obituaries...

I predict you will, but in 5 - 10 years, by his own hand, if the Cubs lose today.

[Bikers4Bush]

Nothing other than a Cubs win tonight will help him or anyone else with respect to that.

[Poohbah]

Idiot Fan has name: "Steve Bartman"