The Blame Game

20 October 2003


Cubs, Not Fan, Lost the Championship

One is ashamed of Chicago baseball fans. An unfortunate man, who did nothing wrong, was blamed for the loss the Cubs suffered in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series against the Florida Marlins. The real lovers of the game in Windy City would do well to listen their star pitcher, Kerry Woods, who said, "I choked."

For those who did not see the game, the Cubs were ahead, and the Marlins exploded for 8 runs, with two outs. Had Moises Alou caught a foul ball that had gone into the stands, the inning would have been over. Yet he didn't, allegedly because a fan tried to catch the ball as a souvenir (a time-honored custom). The poor fellow had to be escorted by security from Wrigley Field, had his name in the Chicago Sun Times the next day, and eventually had to issue a statement of apology. Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich said, “If he commits a crime, he won’t get a pardon from this governor.” The sorry episode makes blaming the umpires look positively grown up.

The Cubs, of course, haven't won a World Series since 1908, and in Chicago, such things matter greatly to many folks. Yet to blame a fan is laughable. First off, Mr. Alou probably wasn't going to make the catch -- it was that far into the stands. Secondly, the very next batter grounded a ball that should have been an easy out to the shortstop, Alex Gonzalez, who botched the play. Third, even though the Cubs lost Game 6, they did have a chance to win Game 7.

Blame a fan? What sort of pitiful team, after 162 regular season games, has to blame a single action by a lone spectator for not making it to the finals? No, the Cubs lost because of their players. Four out of seven times they lost. The fan who probably didn't affect the outcome of Game 6 wasn't in the stands at the other games. What is the excuse for the other three losses? It was a close series, and very good baseball all things considered. Someone has to lose, though, and it was not the fan who blew it -- the Cubs simply lost. But they still looked better than the Red Sox in their 7th game against the Yankees.

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