Cub fan, Cub Infiltraitor

This past week, I lost the guardian of my youth. Mr. Richard O. Viren of Rock Island, Illinois was a lifelong Chicago Cub fan who never saw the Cubs win a World Series during his 85 plus years on this planet. What could have been in October of 2003? For on the 14th of the Halloween month in 2003 the biggest obstacle between the Cubs squaring off against the Yankees in the fall classic was not the Florida Marlins but a cursed Cub fan named Steve Bartman. Young Mr. Bartman probably spent a pretty penny for his left field foul line seat and thought he was entitled to a foul ball worth at best $10 yet was priceless to many Cub fans including myself and old man Viren.

Like most sports baseball is a situational game. One out in the eighth inning in 2003 against the Marlins and the Cubs held a 3-0 lead when second sacker Luis Castillo was at bat. Castillo hits a high foul ball down the left field line which was within reach of being caught for the 2nd out of the inning. Moises Alou a veteran baseball player and professional athlete merely needed to reach up a foot into the stands to snare the ball for the 2nd out of the inning. Alou today has been very generous towards Bartman stating that catching the ball was not a given but considering we are talking about a professional athlete the caliber of Alou chances are very high that he makes the catch. Replay also shows his glove hovering right under the cursed alleged Chicago fan just waiting for the 2nd out of the inning. Unfortunately for legions of Cub fans many of whom have passed away over the course of the past 6 years the foul ball souvenir was more important to Bartman than the opportunity to get into the World Series for many long time Cub fans. After Bartman's greedy little fingers reached out to steal the hopes of many long time Cub fans there was riotous activity down the left field line. Old ladies were among the raucous crowd berating the newest edition to Cub curses, the traitorous fan in blue, and quite possibly the most insensitive person to ever set foot in historic Wrigley Field who mocked the ghost of Harry Carey with his act of evil!

Many non-Cub fans will disregard Bartman's devious act but if a Red Sox, Giant, Indian or White Sox fan on that night witnessed one of their home crowd dressed in their colors act with such disregard for the situation they would understand the events that would transpire.

Now had Cub enemy #1 never boughten a ticket for game 6 in Wrigley Field that night the probability the Cubs would have two outs with only the speedy future Cub Juan Pierre on second base and the slow footed Ivan Rodriquez at the plate. Rodriquez hits a grounder to the backhand of Cub shortstop Alex Gonzalez who takes his time, makes the grab and easily throws Pudge out at first base for the final out of the inning leaving only three outs and no runners on base between the Cubs, a date with the Yankees in the fall classic and one step closer to the baseball dreams of Mr. Viren.

Unfortunately the situation was not two outs but one out and the very fast Juan Pierre on 2nd base. Castillo would eventually work a walk off of Cub starter Mark Prior with a ball four wild pitch that sent Pierre to third base. Now leading 3-0 a double play would get the Cubs out of the inning. A ground ball out or sacrifice fly and Pierre easily scores from third tightening the game to 3-1. As a baseball player you want the double play and Alex Gonzalez wanted the double play so bad he hurried his actions rather than being able to take his time due to Steve Bartman's act of evil against every Cub player, Harry Carey, and fan in the last 95 years since 1908. Because Gonzalez had to hurry his actions he ended up booting the ball making the score 3-1 and putting men on first and second with future Cub all-star Derek Lee at the plate who would tie the score with a double and the avalanche would continue until the Marlins were safely ahead 8-3. Eight runs because of Bartman. Eight runs because of Bartman. I can't say it enough to make history change but to this day the game was changed by Steve Bartman.

Any home team fan whether its the Tampa Bay Devil Rays or the New York Yankees knows you do not interfere with a home team player trying to make an out, especially in a crucial game 6 of a league championship series. Especially when the hopes of 95 years of futility as in the case of the Chicago Cubs was at stake. I recall watching Derek Jeter of the Yankees diving three rows deep into the stands in the playoffs to come out with a bloody gash under his chin. Yankee fans understood the situation and they have been winning World Series at an alarming rate yet the fans were hungry enough to win rather than get a foul ball.

Baseball is just a game. If the Cubs never win or even make it to a World Series I will not be too upset because there is more to life than baseball. But I have a good feeling this year about the Cubs. They are right there in the thick of the Central Division playoff race and should they make the playoffs I know the ghost of Mr. Viren will make his presence known whether it's an infield bleeder or a 2 out broken bat RBI, he will make his presence known. In 2002 right after my mother passed away I felt her presence during one of the wildest college football seasons for my alma mater, Ohio State. A fourth down touchdown pass against Purdue, two game ending interceptions against Cincinnati and hated Michigan to go undefeated in the regular season setting up a title match for the National Championship with one of the best and most talented college football teams of the decade the powerful Miami Hurricanes. And in that national championship game the touchdown underdog Buckeyes made fortunate unreal play after unreal play that gave me the feeling my mother's ghost made her presence felt during that game. Not that she was a Buckeye fan but she just wanted to see me happy. Well Mr. Viren you have left this world only in body, I look forward to seeing your spirit in action for the remainder of this season.