That's it...I am putting a curse on the BoSoxs, no wait that hat says Cubs...
I despise what Bartman did in that game but he is not the reason the Cubbies lost. An error in the field followed this incident (by the shortstop I believe) and the Cubs still had a Game Seven in which to win. In short, the Cubs choked!
After this happened, there was a lot of talk on Chicago talk radio about how "this was a natural reaction on the part of a baseball fan" and "anyone would have done it" and "it wasn't his fault". Now, they were probably trying to keep a mob from marching on this guy's house and burning it down with him in it. And it certainly wasn't just this one play that caused the Cubs to lose. But the concept of "the man couldn't help it" is nonsense.
I'm a Red Sox fan living in the Chicago area. Last year I got tickets and flew out to Boston for the two Oakland playoff games there. Late in the game on Sunday (Game 4) with the Red Sox up a run, the A's had a runner on 3rd. The batter hit a pop-up behind 3rd base into the first row. Were there a bunch of fans reaching for the ball? HELL, NO! By the time that ball landed the occupants of those seats had almost climbed up into the next row and the 50 people closest to that ball were treating it like it was a hand grenade. The fielder fell into the front row but caught the ball for the out as no one was within a yard of him or it.
Why? Because Fenway Park is full of BASEBALL FANS and Wrigley Field is full of CELL-PHONE "Gee, honey, lookit me I'm at the game" USING DILLETANT FRONT-RUNNING TOURISTS.