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....