Make sure he’s seated farther back
Steve Bartman became about the most vilified baseball fan in history Oct. 14, 2003.
With a foul ball heading his way, Bartman reached for it — as almost any fan would — without realizing that Chicago Cubs outfielder Moises Alou had lined up to catch what would have been the second out of the eighth inning of Game 6 of the National League Championship Series against the Florida Marlins.
The Cubs led the game 3-0 and the series 3-2 at the time, and would have been four outs away from reaching the World Series for the first time since 1945 if Alou had made the catch. Instead, the Marlins rallied to score eight runs in the inning, enough for an 8-3 victory that forced a Game 7.
Florida won again the next day, ensuring that the Cubs’ decadeslong championship drought continued.
Bartman became infamous overnight, even getting death threats for his momentary indiscretion. He remains a Cubs fan but has refused all interview requests and hasn’t returned to Wrigley Field since that day.
Now, with the Cubs heading back to the postseason, some of Bartman’s fellow fans want to send him to the National League wild-card game in Pittsburgh. A GoFundMe account started by Keque Escobedo is trying to raise $5,000 to pay for Bartman’s flight, hotel room and ticket.
“First we need to find him to get him to the big game,” Escobedo told USA Today. “If anyone knows where he is at, tell him we are looking for him. The money would pay for his expenses including his ticket, hotel room, flights and a little spending money.”
If Bartman cannot be found by time of the big game, all the proceeds raised will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Association.