No-Fault Policy

Jim Trotter

April 14, 2008

YOU MAY have heard it's been 63 years since the Cubs went to the World Series. You also may have heard who prolonged the drought in 2003: lifelong fan Steve Bartman (above). With the Cubs five outs away from winning the NLCS against Florida in Game 5, Chicago leftfielder Moises Alou reached into the stands for a pop-up, and Bartman appeared to knock the ball away. Given new life, Luis Castillo walked to spark a game-winning rally, and the Cubs lost the series. Alou said Bartman interfered with him; Bartman heard so much abuse in Chicago that he went into hiding. Last week, at last, he was absolved. "Everywhere I play, even now, people still yell, 'Bartman! Bartman!' I feel really bad," Alou, now with the Mets, told the AP. "You know what the funny thing is? I wouldn't have caught it anyway."