Gapers Block published from April 22, 2003 to Jan. 1, 2016. The site will remain up in archive form. Please visit Third Coast Review, a new site by several GB alumni.
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Saturday, February 8
I think it depends on the situation..last night, for example, the ball was actually foul (from what I could see) so the fan in question wasn't in all the wrong to try to catch it. Was he wrong to get in the way of Alou trying to catch it? Being a Cubs fan (I assume) most certainly so. Especially since Alou flipped the guy a ball earlier in the game. But what's done is done, and its not like that guy beat the Cubs. Some bad pitches and timely hitting from the fish did. What's done is done, now the true test of whos a champion and whos a chump is on. Anyone for an Old Style?
I'm glad to see some thoughts not directed in the vein of hatred towards the fan. I stayed to watch a lot of news coverage not because I cared about what Dusty Baker or anyone else had to say about the game but what they had to say about the fan. I seriously didn't think flashing the guy's face all over TV is going to help him today. Nicely enough, the presenters on Fox tried to give some perspective to the situation and try to diffuse the situation to anyone who was listening. After watching the replays, it did look like Alou had a good chance of catching the ball, BUT fans do what fans do and in the heat of the moment, you're not thinking. Umpire ruled it in the stands. Alou certainly didn't blame the fan directly which I thought was classy of him, though Dusty Baker did to some degree. Marlins played strong and other factors certainly didn't help (fumbled ball, etc.)
Tonight however, is a whole other ball game.
Headline from the Sun-Times:
Spit hits the fan after souvenir try goes awry
Groan...
I'm as woebegone as any Cubs fan, and, yes, if it weren't for that play, we'd all be mopping up the champagne right now, but I have to absolve the fan.
Having had the pleasure of sitting in such premium seats once or twice, I know the mindset it puts you in. With every single pitch, you're praying for a foul to come to you. You have one hand in your glove and one hand on your cell phone, ready to call your buddies on national television. Then, when a ball finally comes your way after eight innings of silent pleading, your only thought is, "OhmygodIgotit! OhmygodIgotit! OhmygodIgotit!" Unfortunately, this focus crowds out all reason and logic, and no fan can be expected to be very thoughtful in the few seconds it takes for the ball to cut a parabola from the plate to his seat. "Let's see: Marlin runner on second, one out in the eighth of the most important game in 19 years. I should probably let someone in a white uniform handle this. Tra la la."
Keep in mind that if it were a fair ball and the runner were on first, such focus (read as, fan interference) would have prevented a run by limiting all advancement to two bases. It takes a special awareness to know when and when not to interfere, and the fans at these postseason games may be the most well-heeled, but they're not exactly the most knowledgeable or attentive.
What the guy should be beaten for is wearing a green turtleneck with a navy-blue sweatshirt. Queer eyes to Sec. 6, Row 11, Seat 9, stat!
I'm so upset; I can't even post.
I think I heard something about someone bulldozing a big X or two across the fan's lawn last night...
*in best Limbaugh voice* You people are desirous that a white male be responsible for the Cubs failing.
In the guy's defense, neither he nor Alou were looking at anything but the ball, so there was no way either of them could know about the other.
But yeah, that was the turning point. Having several million people mad at you is probably enough punishment for the guy. No need to kill him, he'll probably do it himself if the Cubs lose tonight.
LOLOLOLOLOL!
It is punishment enough that 'the fan' will never be able to show his face at Wrigley ever again. It would also probably be wise to stay out of any bar on the northside that has a TV in it.
I think the worst thing about this is that people who hate the Cubs to begin with usually do so because of "Cubs fans." Here's to some twisted, bitter irony.
Personally, I think fan interference should be an integral part of major league baseball. Arm the crowd with bats, broken glass, stones, chainsaws, ANYTHING. Encourage them to run onto the field and chase the players. Dangit, make those multimillionaires WORK for their salaries!!!
I second Jima's idea. That'd be awesome. Chainsaw Baseball Masacre.
I think sports players should be paid on comission-- they would get a modest base salary, and then for every time they get a hit, or RBI, or turn a play, or a throw a strike (etc etc) they would get a contracted bonus. That would either snap players out of slumps or send em packin'
Somebody's using the promise of honey rather than vinegar to catch Chicago's Most Wanted.
Don't fall for it, dude.
Sun-Times, liberal, huh?
Well, I think it'd be best to frame my thoughts on this issue within the context of...of...hahahahahhahahhahahaahaa, oh god, hahahhaha hahaa hahhaha hahahahah, okay, okay. Anyway. That wasn't fan interference. It may have been a mista--mista--hahaha--mistake, but it was instinct. Winning teams know how to get over little--ha--blunders. Hm. Ha. Hahaha.
Holy cow, the Smoking Gun is naming names.
There's a good discussion of the naming issue here.
Predicted Sun-Times headline: "Do the Bartman!"
Michael Sippey comments on his own post about it which I agree with.
http://sippey.typepad.com/filtered/2003/10/until_a_few_day.html#comments
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs2003/news/story?id=1638663
His name is Steve Bartman. And while I don't *literally* want him dead... I want him dead.
I say we get his home address, go to Borders, pull subscription cards from every magazine in the house and fill them out with his name and address and mark them "bill me later."
Jeff, you're wrong on so many levels.
I'm really not comfortable with this moron's addy and phone number being posted far and wide. he made a bonehead move, no doubt. he caught a foul ball. he didn't fuck a toddler, swindle retirees, or kill a person.
Yeah the address needs to go, especially because it's all just an unfortunate mess. It was soooo close, but really, it wasn't interference. It was just a narrow miss, and that guy was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Marlins just kept hitting into left field...the Cubs might have done something about that, but they didn't in time, and then we lost. We'll do it right tonight, I'm sure.
Gone.
This is why I don't like professional sports. People take this shit way too seriously. Some poor slob starts getting death threats because one group of millionaires didn't beat another group of millionaires at a children's game involving sticks and silly pants? What nonsense.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Cubs suck as usual. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha cubbies choke as usual. When will you chumps learn? Cubs suck Cardinals rule. Choke choke choke choke choke. You silly little bitches. See you "next year"!
Okay, everybody play nice. Those of us who kind of care about baseball can go back to a passing interest in the Yankees losing. And those of us who don't care until we have to can go back to our normal lives of ignoring sports.
Congratulations, Gapers Block you now have your first official troll!
NOW IS THE TIME for a Sosa backlash!!! He is a selfish player and his talent is fading (especially since this is the first year the MLB tested for steroids and his stats weren't as high as past years. Coincidence?). Come on Cubs fans!! Aren't you guys tired of him swinging for the fences and striking out with runners on base when all he has to do is make contact with the ball to advance the runners? He doesn't know the meaning of sacrifice. Send him to the AL so he could be the DH for some team that could feed his ego and use the cash to get an outfielder that could actually play defense (sammy hit a cut-off man? NEVER!) and a couple other pitchers.
/end rant
Whew I feel much better. Now on to more pressing matters....THE BEARS ARE KILLING ME!!!!
Well said, Onid. Sosa is the Reggie Jackson of the current age: a home run king, but a strike-out king as well. His star is in retrograde.
A refreshing diversion. All in all, a laugh riot.
Who dressed this guy for the game? It looked like he came straight from the Dungeons & Dragons convention to Wrigley. It was also the most feeble attempt at a catch I ever saw. Something tells me he has spent a lifetime getting his ass kicked already.
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shechemist / October 15, 2003 8:52 AM
I don't think the fan interference was the only factor in the cubs losing after having a 3 run lead, but holy fuck it didn't help.
I am so glad I am not that man. he must have been the most hated human in chicago last night.