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Remembering The Steve Bartman Seat At Wrigley Field; Bartman Gets World Series Ring from Chicago Cubs

Photo of the Steve Bartman seat at Wrigley Field. Home of the Chicago Cubs.

It’s been 14 years since Steve Bartman ruined the Chicago Cubs World Series run during game 6 of the 2003 NLCS vs. the Florida Marlins. We're only kidding. Bartman, a 26 year-old Cubs fan at the time, accidentally interfered with a foul ball that outfielder Moises Alou wouldn’t have been able to catch in the first place. That didn’t stop ESPN from milking the story for all it’s worth with the documentary “Catching Hell”. Unfairly, Bartman was scapegoated as being the reason the Chicago Cubs failed to reach their first World Series since 1945.

The Chicago Cubs and the Ricketts Family have sought closure for the incident following the Cubs’ 2017 World Series championship. As a kind gesture, the team had a championship ring made just for Steve Bartman, who has been living in hiding since the incident. Bartman has turned down six-figure commercial and television deals that would have brought him back into the public eye. If you ask me, Bartman’s reclusiveness only adds to the story. Bartman issued the following statement upon receiving the ring.

“Although I do not consider myself worthy of such an honor, I am deeply moved and sincerely grateful to receive an official Chicago Cubs 2016 World Series Championship ring. I am fully aware of the historical significance and appreciate the symbolism the ring represents on multiple levels. My family and I will cherish it for generations. Most meaningful is the genuine outreach from the Ricketts family, on behalf of the Cubs organization and fans, signifying to me that I am welcomed back into the Cubs family and have their support going forward. I am relieved and hopeful that the saga of the 2003 foul ball incident surrounding my family and me is finally over. I humbly receive the ring not only as a symbol of one of the most historic achievements in sports, but as an important reminder for how we should treat each other in today’s society. My hope is that we all can learn from my experience to view sports as entertainment and prevent harsh scapegoating, and to challenge the media and opportunistic profiteers to conduct business ethically by respecting personal privacy rights and not exploit any individual to advance their own self-interest or economic gain. Moreover, I am hopeful this ring gesture will be the start of an important healing and reconciliation process for all involved. To that end, I request the media please respect my privacy, and the privacy of my family. I will not participate in interviews or further public statements at this time. Words alone cannot express my heartfelt thanks to the Ricketts family, Crane Kenney, Theo Epstein, and the entire Cubs organization for this extraordinary gift, and for providing the City of Chicago and Cubs fans everywhere an unforgettable World Championship in 2016. I am happy to be reunited with the Cubs family and positively moving forward with my life."

Source: WGNTV.com.

The Steve Bartman seat can be found at Wrigley Field in section 4, row 8, seat 113. The seat is a popular photo op for baseball fans visiting Wrigley Field. The seat gained plenty of notoriety during game 6 of the 2016 NLCS when a local Cubs fan named Bryan occupied the seat. Bryan didn’t know that he held the ticket for the Steve Bartman seat until he arrived to the ballpark.

I have personally sat in the Steve Bartman seat and I will never forget looking down and seeing how close the seat felt to the playing field. In fact, carrying on a conversation with the left-fielder would be very easy from those seats. It was a little bit of an eerie feeling, to say the least.

 

Reference: FoxSports.com

 

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