This offseason is unlike any ever before for the Chicago Cubs. After winning the franchise’s first World Series in over a century, the Cubs are busy this offseason planning for celebrations to come in 2017 to honor the most recent World Sereis championship, from designing championship rings to figuring out where and how to display the World Series trophy and even reaching out to the one and only Steve Bartman to let him know everything is alright once again.
“I’m sure we’ll reach out to him at the right time,’’ Chicago Cubs owner Tom Ricketts said in a USA Today story by Bob Nightengale. “I’m sure we’ll figure something out that provides closure for everybody. Hopefully, we can make it work.”
Bartman has been shunned by the Cubs community (not the Cubs) since his infamous moment in Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS when he reached for a foul ball that may have been able to be caught by Moisus Alou coming in from left field. As you no doubt know by now, things fell apart for the Cubs after Bartman’s foul ball episode, the Cubs went on to lose Game 6 and then Game 7 to the Florida Marlins and the Cubs’ best shot at a World Series would have to wait another 13 seasons.
But now that the Cubs have finally snapped the drought, the hope is they can bring an end to the pain and suffering for longtime Cubs fan Steve Bartman, who has lived his life in relative obscurity since then but always rooted for the Cubs.
It is unknown if Bartman has returned to Wrigley Field since, but sometime during 2017 would be a great time to let the Cubs community know Bartman is now welcome back. Heck, have him throw out the first pitch.
