One Man's Day Of Infamy

The ball seemed very much like it was going out of bounds. From his perspective, he knew the wind could have taken it many different ways. But, the people around him had the same thoughts because they were rising in anticipation also. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Moises Alou, the left fielder, coming towards the wall. The ball came closer. It then dropped into the group of fans around him, a few were his friends. Alou jumped, sticking his glove over the wall and slightly into the group of fans. Several hands reached for the ball. Steve Bartman had the best chance to grab it. It is a judgment call whether he interfered or not. At that moment, on live television beamed around the world, a man's destiny was forever altered.... ESPN has been running the new documentary ''Catching Hell'' about that moment and the impact it has had on Bartman's life. The film interviews many of the key people that night, including the fans around Bartman, Moises Alou, and, the security folks who got Bartman the hell out of there. Steve Bartman declined to be interviewed, a wise move. There is nothing to be gained for him to be featured.... What is so fascinating about this documentary is that it shows the human behavior around the central event. We all saw it. We debate whether he interfered. The hand held cameras in the crowd that night tell another side of the story that is rarely seen. And, that story is most disturbing. To actually hear and see the fans reaction is unbelievable. In the back of my mind, I knew that response by the crowd was always there, but, shoved abruptly in the viewers face is mindboggling. Almost immediately, Bartman was showered in verbal and physical abuse from the crowd. Security wisely moved in to protect him, but, that was a thankless job. From his seat, Bartman could hear the calls for his life from those around him and from the street. Of course, these weren't true Cub fans- every team in sports has the irrational lunatic fringe section that calls itself real fans. But, that doesn't matter when your life is being threatened. After several minutes, security took him and led him away. He was belted with beer and other objects. Going down the stairs, again with security his buffer between him and the crowd, there were several drunk fans he narrowly missed getting into a fight with. As we all know,  some foolish people act stronger and tougher when they have alcohol in there systems. Add to that the taunting of the crowd, and, suddenly Bartman is the most hated man in Cubdom. If the documentary has a flaw, it is that I wished some of those moronic fans were interviewed now. Their reactions would be invaluable. I would hope they have sobered and wised up to their behavior that night. If they haven't, then you have to fear their sanity.... Bartman was taken into the security room in the ballpark to wait out the end of the game. Sadly, the Cubs blew their lead in the game--- remember , they were only five outs away from a victory that would have sent them to the World Series. What is also shown in the film, and, also , forgotten by certain Cub fans, is how the Cubs imploded that night. Game 6 turned into a maze of errors and bad pitches. The bottom fell out after the Bartman play, but, Bartman was in the security office by then. He wasn't on the field, making the bonehead mistakes. In typical Cub fashion, they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.... The most interesting part of this documentary is the interviews with the security that night. They performed their jobs remarkably that night and people have to remember that. One security woman, who lived around Wrigley Field, took Bartman to her apartment to get him out of harm's way. The media was already stalking him and he needed the shelter of a calm spot. She described him as not really being all in the moment, asking her what really happened. Bartman was in shock, as we all would be. At this point, if the viewer was not putting himself or herself in Bartman's position, then they have missed the whole point of the film. Human compassion is what was needed most for Bartman, and, he found it with this woman. After a long wait at her place, Bartman was taken home to his parents house where he lived. After that long night, he needed the love that only family could give him. By the morning, the world was at his parents front door, ready to pounce.... Helicoptors flew over his house. Talk radio was alive with his name, where he lived, and, all of his back history. The bulls eye on his back had grown. He couldn't leave his house. His life became torment. If those irrational Cub ''fans'' who threatened his life were the bad guys in the Bartman story, then the media became their sidekicks. One moment of trying to catch a ball became a lifetime of always looking over your back, wondering who was going to get you. The dark side of human behavior is not always terrorist acts or physical abuse, but, is also verbal abuse done to sensitive, normal human beings. Steve Bartman doesn't strike me as a evil man, far from it. Just an innocent victim who fate settled on one infamous night.... There is much more to the documentary, which I highly recommend. They drag out the whole ''Cubs Curse'' absurdity, complete with the '' Billy Goat'' story [ by the way, I have eaten at the Billy Goat Tavern and their cheeseburgers suck ] The filmmakers interview former Cub Bill Buckner, who also had misfortune drop on his soul in the 1986 World Series. It took many years for Buckner to deal with his error and the Red Sox fans reaction to him. Finally, within the last few years, Boston welcomed him back to throw out the first pitch. The crowd gave him a standing ovation and he was genuinely touched. All seemed forgiven.... I hope sometime soon Steve Bartman will be welcomed back to Wrigley Field to such fan support. He deserves it. Those who do not like the idea should stay away. Or, better yet, should crack open a famous book that was written years ago. In the Bible, there are plenty of passages that talk about compassion and redemption... And, nothing about the World Series....

The Quiet Beatle Part 4

Cancer wasn't foreign to the Fab Four. Various family and friends had died from the disease. George, like the other three, was a heavy smoker. In 1997, he discovered a lump in his throat. The doctors told him the news. The cancer was stopped temporarily, but, in time it would spread to his lungs, and, finally, to his brain.... In the middle of the night on December 29, 1999, George and Olivia were awakened by strange sounds from downstairs. Investigating the noise, George came across an intruder with a knife. George quickly said, ''Hare Krishna'' to the man, hoping that it would pacify him. It didn't. The man attacked George and stabbed him deeply in the chest. While the two men struggled , Olivia grabbed a lamp and began hitting the intruder over the head. Finally, the man collapsed, but, George was seriously wounded. He was taken to the hospital with internal bleeding. He almost died.... After the attack, he never really recovered. The final two years of his life, the cancer took over his body. In the summer of 2001, George knew he was a dying man. And, because of his faith, he was comfortable in spirit knowing that he was finally going to see the God he had been searching for. The only drawback, he knew, was that he would be leaving his loved ones. Throughout the last month of his life, George said goodbye.... Paul visited him in the hospital those final weeks. They had been on good terms for many years. They held hands for the entire visit. Two old friends who had seen and done so much. Ringo also saw George. The three didn't have to tell each other they loved each other, it was there and it was real. One day in Heaven that reunion will come between the four of them..... The last day, November 29, George was in and out of consciousness. Olivia said he was chanting the ''Hare Krishna'' prayer as he died... In Hindu tradition, George was cremated and his ashes were scattered in the Ganges river... So, what to make of this extraordinary man and life? He seemed to live in contradiction. I believe his naughty behavior were the steps he needed to take to find his peace. And, I do believe he got there at the end. Ultimately, it doesn't matter if he wasn't a saint--- he never claimed to be--- but, what he left us. Like John, George is best represented in his music. And, in the music, was a witty, intelligent, gentle, sincere man who wanted to bring love to the world. My heart still gently weeps for the ''Quiet Beatle'', which he wasn't by the way.... John, Paul, George, and Ringo made music that forever will be in our genetic systems, but, more importantly, they were very human men who had the flaws we all do. They are family. And, George was the son who showed us the beauty when the sun comes...

The Quiet Beatle

With the dawn of the new decade, George released the mammoth ''All Things Must Pass'' album. This three record album shot to the top of the charts, spawned a number 1 single in ''My Sweet Lord'', and, showed once and for all, that George was a bit of a musical genius in his own right. The title song was a not too veiled reminder to the public that his Beatle days were over and now we would all have to regard him as ''George Harrison''.... But, underneath the bravado lurked the darkness that was in his life. Pattie and him were not doing well--- George remained very much the player with women-- and, his spirituality was taking over his life. Pattie couldn't compete with both of those outside forces. George kept looking for the truth. Pattie wanted a normal life. They fought constantly. Added to the mix was that George's new best friend, Eric Clapton, was in love with Pattie[ the song ''Layla'' is about her]. Things were quite sticky at Friar Park. Then it got even stickier.... Rumor has it that there were a lot of instances where wife swapping took place. Allegedly, George took up with Ringo's wife Maureen, while Pattie shacked up with Ronnie Wood. Whatever the true story is, both George and Ringo ended their marriages-- and, Pattie went off with Clapton. This is the duality of George Harrison. On one hand a man searching for God. On the other, a very mortal man surrendering to the pleasures of the flesh. Interesting enough, all of this bizarre behavior among the rich rock stars didn't alter their feelings of love they had for each other. Perhaps, it was the life they were used to, where normal behavior has never flowered.... Throughout the 70's George released various albums to various acclaim and audience indifference. While the work of all the Beatles in their solo years is a mixed bag, the public still retained a strong love of the band. Constant requests for reunions. Of course, it never happened. George was reluctant. He also said that if John would do it, he would also. George loved Paul, but, had no desire to play music again with him. He wanted to be close again with John , though. But, the problem continued to be Yoko. John was secluded behind the thick walls of the Dakota building, almost like a prisoner. And, Yoko was the warden. In the last years of John's life, these two, who were once brothers in arms-- who, in another life, in another time, were teacher and pupil-- had virtually no contact with each other.... On the morning of December 9, 1980, George was asleep at home in England. The phone rang. His manager told him the news: John had been shot to death in New York. George put down the phone and said the Hare Krishna prayer for the dead. Not only would the Beatles never reunite, but, more importantly to George, he lost the one person , after God, who had the most influence on him. He cried himself back to sleep.... By the time of John's death, George was a new husband and father. He met Olivia Arias in 1974, and , perhaps for the first time in his life, he was truly in love. They had a son together, Dhani, born in 1978. George and Olivia became even more private after Lennon's death, naturally fearing for their own safety. That fear became a reality in 1999.... Throughout the 80's, George retreated to his garden. He loved the sight of the beauty growing from the earth. Here was God at his best, growing life, instead of the madness the outside world was growing. When he did return to the public in 1987, it was with a new album, '' Cloud Nine'' and a new outlook. Age seemed to mellow him. He had a wife. He had a son. He had a successful career. His spirituality was still strong. And, whatever bad feelings he had about the Beatles seemed to wash away. Friends say he loved to talk about the past and his former group. By the 90's, George seemed poised to grow old gracefully and peacefully. Then he got cancer...

The Quiet Beatle Part 2

At first, George loved the trappings of fame. When the Beatles became a worldwide sensation, everything was thrown at them. Wine, women, and song. And, money. Big time money. George became a millionaire by the age of 21. He purchased a mansion called Friar Park. It was his hideaway from the madness. As an adult , George still valued his privacy. And, when he moved into the house, he now had a roommate... Pattie Boyd met George on the set of ''A Hard Days Night'' . She was an extra and a model. All blue eyed and blonde, she stole George's heart at first glance. He asked her out on the first day of filming. She said no, but, a Beatle didn't take no for an answer. Finally, after putting him off for a week, she consented to go out on a date with him. Very fast, they became an item and Pattie moved into Friar Park. They were married in 1966 and never had any children... George might have been married, but, that didn't stop him having some bachelor fun. All of the boys were terrible at monogamy. The tours they went on around the world were drug debauched orgies. No man was immune. The women were blissfully ignorant of what was happening. The Boys from Liverpool were old fashioned men: the women stayed at home... Around 1965, John and George and their wives were invited to a dinner at a dentist friend's house. Without their knowledge, LSD was slipped into the coffee. Fearing for their health, the four made a hasty exit. They went to a club. That is when the effects of the drug kicked in. The women were terrified. John was entranced. George, however, had the most lasting memory of the trip. It awakened the path of enlightenment for him. George said that was the moment when he found God. He felt God in everything and he felt himself in everything. The part of his soul that lay dormant to spirituality came alive. No longer was he the same person. The door had opened for him, and, until the end of his life, he was searching for the Divine. This was no drug fueled delusion. George felt it deep in his soul.... But, living in the material world tested his new found life. The vices were still tempting him. George tried hard to resist, but, by his own account, he failed many times. Infidelity, rampant drug use, and most depressing of all to him, the Beatles experience was stifling him. While the boys still were each others best friends, the rot was setting in. Brian Epstein's death, the pressures of the public, the runaway madness of their business company Apple, and, above all, the arrival of Yoko Ono in John's life made it all collapse... George never outgrew his admiration of John Lennon. The two became close as the years went by, but, George never lost the feeling that John was his hero. As he was the baby in his family, George became the baby of the Beatles. John and Paul were the older brothers, Ringo was the add on. As George began to write his own songs in 1963, John was his role model. George sang like John, wrote songs in John's pitch, and, behaved as John wanted him to. With the arrival of Yoko, George lost his contact with John. As Lennon changed, so did the makeup of the Beatles. In the past, John would be the buffer between Paul and the band. Paul was born to dominate and he did so frequently with George and Ringo. John would step in and, since he was the leader, Paul would back off. With Yoko on the scene, there was no buffer. And, that was when George and Paul started having their problems. All the pieces began to fall apart. Their empire was crumbling. Sadly, so was the brotherhood they had with each other.... Ironically, with the collapse of the group, George started writing some of his best songs. ''While My Guitar Gently Weeps,'' ''Here Comes The Sun'', ''Something''. George was  finally writing his masterpieces alongside the juggernaut of Lennon- McCartney classics. By the time the group finally disbanded in 1970, George was primed to have the best solo career of the four....

The Quiet Beatle Part 1

Perhaps the most important song George Harrison ever played was when he was around 15. It was in 1958, and the setting was a double decker bus in Liverpool. He was auditioning for a spot in the local skiffle group called The Quarrymen. The judges consisted of just two people. One was his friend from school and supporter, Paul McCartney. The other was the skeptical, brash, no nonsense leader of the band, John Lennon. George was nervous. Not of playing because he was a first rate guitarist and had confidence in his ability. No, the reason he was nervous was Lennon. John was a commanding force who didn't suffer fools gladly. George was in awe of John--- a role he never outgrew-- and, had a case of sticky fingers. On cue, he played the current hit ''Raunchy''. The song itself is no more than rudimentary playing. George played it and played it well. Paul was full of praise, and, even John, the fierce critic, was impressed. John gave his approval and George was now the lead guitarist. He was pleased, but, didn't show it. He kept his feelings private. He always did.... George Harrison was born on February 25, 1943, in Liverpool, England. He was the last of four children--- an older sister and two brother preceded him--- and, therefore, was the baby of the family. The family lived in a government funded area, so, the family, while not poor, was very low middle class. George grew up with a lot of love from his family. His was the only Beatle childhood not affected by death. A small, independent child, George was happy as a kid except for his schooling. Like his future bandmates, school was a waste of time . He got poor grades and was not good at sports. He was social, however, and certainly bright, but, the everyday routine at school quickly bored him. The teachers dismissed him as hopeless, and, the remainder of his years in class were full of daydreaming. And, he dreamed of music... Before he was 13, he listened to all kinds of music, but, one day riding his bike, he heard '' Heartbreak Hotel'' on the radio. It was a call to arms for young George. The birth of rock and roll stirred him to action. He wanted to play music, and, mostly play guitar. His mother bought him his first guitar and George patiently taught himself to play at night. Through time, he began to learn whole songs and develop a skill that would take him through life... On the school bus everyday, George became friendly with another boy, 9 months his senior, who also shared the passion for music. He was James Paul McCartney, whom everybody called Paul, and, through their love for rock and roll, a friendship was formed. The boys played music together often. Both played acoustic guitars. Paul was the more ambitious. He had just lost his Mom to cancer, so, music became therapy for him. Paul also began to hang around a local skiffle band playing gigs, usually for no money. George was intrigued. He wanted in. But, the leader said no, he was just a little kid. George vowed to change the leader's mind, which led to the audition on that bus... After John, Paul, and George started playing together, you would have thought it would lead them to instant fame and fortune. Instead, it lead them to poverty. In the history of music, very few artists had the rough road the Beatles had before the made. Between 1958 and 1962, which is when the bell of success rang for them, they played some of the shittiest gigs, usually for a small fee. The band made their bones in 1960 by going to Hamburg and playing a bar for 8 hours straight a night. While not profitable in terms of currency, the band did become tight in their playing. The wild nights for them on the town became the stuff of legend. Young, randy, and good looking, the boys, along with their new drummer Pete Best, cut quite a swath around the city. They developed a rabid following there. At 17, George was having the time of his life. Having barely finished school, he was now free to enjoy the pleasures all young men dream about. He lost his virginity in Hamburg, and, like the other boys, was constantly having sex with all sorts of women. Strippers, barmaids, groupies of the band, George loved it all. In addition, the band was making giant strides musically. George decided being a full time musician was his career path. When the band got back to Liverpool, fate took them in its arms and George loved the embrace.... He loved the rise of the band. In rapid order in 1961, they played the basement club in Liverpool called The Cavern, took another tour of Hamburg in the spring, and, crucially, met their manager, Brian Epstein, in late 1961. Epstein got them a recording contract in 1962, and their first single, ''Love Me Do'' was released in England. By this time, Ringo Starr had replaced Pete Best. This was mainly George's doing. While John and Paul were the leaders, George always had a strong say on the music. He was unhappy with Best and pushed for Ringo. They were now complete. And, Beatlemania came roaring into their lives in 1963...