Photo of the Year (Cub Collapse Spares No One)

Chicago Tribune ^ | October 16, 2003 | The Cruel Hand of Fate

[4Freedom]

From all of the pictures I've seen, that ball falls right into Alou's glove without Steve's interference.

Umpires seldom call interference when it's the player's own fans that do the interfering.

Put a Marlin cap on that 'geek' and you have a different call.

Conversely, the 'geek' takes the catch away from a Marlin player, in an identical situation, and you have a different call.

[SCHROLL]

Baker lost the series by staying with his starters too long and placing his relievers in a position where they could make zero mistakes once they came into the game. Plain and simple the fan had nothing to do with it.

[Redwood71]

"I'm happy Pudge gets to go to the World Series"

---

Thank you. For many years down in Texas his talent has wilted on the vine and not been recognized on a national level. Then they spend equal to the national debt to bring A-Rod down there, to be the savior and further sink Ivan into oblivion. He made his escape and was a major, major reason for the success of the Marlins. I was especially happy to see that A-Rod got seats in the front row of, at least, one of the division series where he could get a first hand view of a winner. All Ivan needed was a good supporting cast to display his wares. I wish him success in the "Series."

Red

[GSWarrior]

The Marlins are a better team than the Cubs.

[discostu]

Pudge rocks, I can honestly say that by midway through game three every time he stepped up to bat (especially with runners on) the Cubs fan got a sinking feeling. If the Marlins get 4 more wins he should get the MVP.

[WatchOutForSnakes]

I feel sorry for that guy. I'm a huge Cub fan but that guy didn't lose that game or the series. Baker lost that game and the 7th game with his horrible pitching management. He has always been known for not being able to manage pitchers and that's what did the Cubs in. I hope he was paying attention to what the Marlins manager did last night. Baker should have brought in either Clement or Zambrano in both games 6 and 7. What is he saving them for?? The World Series that they never made? You have to get there first and Dusty blew it. Problem is he's got such an ego on him he will never admit it. He has no learning curve because he already thinks he knows everything.

[4Freedom]

This just in from Chicago.

This morning, 74-year-old Sadie McDermott had to be cut from her 1978 Cadillac Eldorado when it inexplicably crashed through the front of a 'Wrigleyville' Starbuck's Coffee Shop.

Local gas station attendants said that she was among hundreds of depressed and over-wrought Cub fans that had been 'cruising' the neighborhood, because they said they just couldn't sleep.

Emergency personnel said that poor Sadie just kept screaming, 'Please tell me I nailed that little, Latte-sipping, 'geek' bastard.'

Doctors say it will be some time before Ms. McDermott is in any condition to answer any questions, but investigators at the scene say they have an idea that they know who the little, Latte-sipping, geek bastard was that she was talking about and wished to inform all concerned citizens that she had missed him.

[Lancey Howard]

On the one hand:

If Alou had been allowed to catch that ball without interfernece (and he likely would have) there would have been 2 outs, nobody on, and Prior pitching from a windup, looking to close out the inning. Instead, Juan Pierre, who now has new life, shoots a double into right field after a long at-bat. So now it's one out, man on second, Prior pitching from the stretch, and beginning to throw too many pitches for that late in the game. In the back of his mind he is still pissed because he should be trying to get the third out with the bases empty instead of being in the predicament he is in.

On the other hand, just like with bad calls from umpires, good teams rise above things that are out of their control and don't look back. The Cubs folded like a cheap suit, getting bombed for eight runs, and that wasn't the fan's fault.

[GSWarrior]

In hindsight, I'm thinking that if Alou hadn't reacted the way he did, perhaps Prior gets out of the inning. His reaction planted a seed of "uh-oh" in the Cub players' minds.

Perhaps he should have simply addressed the ump to the effect of "Are you sure that wasn't interference?" instead of his demonstrable display.

[section9]

Obey the Billygoat!

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[RonF]

From all of the pictures I've seen, that ball falls right into Alou's glove without Steve's interference.

True. But it's an issue of presumption. It's presumed that if a ball would fall in the field of play with a fielder camped under it that said fielder would catch the ball. If it's deflected away, fan interference is called. However, if the ball is going to fall in the stands, then there's no presumption that the fielder is going to catch it, even if he was in a position to do so.

The principle of presumption is used elsewhere in baseball. Man on first, less than two out. Grounder to short. Shortstop throws ball to 2nd baseman, one out. Second baseman throws ball in the dirt to 1st baseman. 1st baseman blocks it but is drawn off base; batter-runner is safe. The batter-runner would have clearly been out on a good throw, but no error is scored (if the batter-runner doesn't advance to 2nd) because even though he would have been out, there's no presumption (unlike the play at 2nd base) that the 2nd out of a double play is always going to be recorded. A fly ball into the stands is not going to be presumed to be caught, even if the fielder is clearly in a position to do so.

This is why the fan wasn't thrown out of the ball park and arrested immediately, and why the club was careful to state that he was eventually removed for his own protection, not because of anything he did, and did not face charges. Major league ball clubs now regularly toss out people who interfere with balls in play, and they make sure that everyone knows about it when they do so, even announcing it over the air when they do, to discourage anyone else from doing so. I've seen it happen at Comiskey Park. But this guy didn't commit interference, and the ball club didn't state that he did. His presumed fan allegiance had nothing to do with it.

[RonF]

You are, perhaps, unfamiliar with Photoshop?

[NYC Republican]

Stop blaming this poor guy, blaming him on the disgusting CHOKE performance by the Cubs is disgraceful.

[Area51]

The actions of the press in exposing this guys life is even worse. One of these sore headed goofballs could very well us all that info. to get at the guy.

Sick sick sick

[Guillermo]

Gimme a break. 99.999% of foul ball seeking fans would have gone for that fly, maybe more.

You would have done the same exact thing.

[StrictTime]

I'm not a Cowboys fan, so Emmitt's loss is no big deal. Now when I see Randy Moss in a Raider's jersey, I'll be a little verklempt...:)

[reagan_fanatic]