I get tired of hearing Bartman jokes relating to the Cubs and their supposed curse. Let's see if I can try and set the record straight about Steve Bartman.
It is possible that Moises Alou could have gotten to the foul ball but no one will ever know for sure. I think Bartman should have been called for interference on the play. Since Bartman wasn't called for interference, he did not cause the Cubs' shortstop Alex Gonzalez to commit a costly error a few minutes later. Bartman did not cause Mark Prior from losing his composure and start giving up hit after hit after hit. Bartman didn't cause the Cubs manager Dusty Baker or the pitching coach to do nothing to stop the bleeding in that inning until it was too late. Bartman didn't cause Kerry Wood from having over 100 pitches in the 5th inning in the following game or from poor managing of the pitching staff by Dusty Baker in that game as well.
I believe that a pattern developed during game 6 and 7 of the 2003 NLCS. That pattern was poor play by the players and bad managing and coaching by Dusty Baker and his staff. It's time to understand this and stop giving Steve Bartman so much grief about that game because it wasn't his fault that the Cubs lost. All of the media hacks and meatball fans who blame Bartman should stop blaming him and move on because the jokes aren't funny.
