Cubs To Give World Series Ring To Steve Bartman

Steve Bartman was the most hated man in Chicago. Now, 14 years later, he's found some closure with a World Series Ring.

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

And now a story of Steve Bartman's redemption. It sounds like this is all.

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UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER #1: Here's the 0-1. This is going to be a tough play. Bryant, the Cubs win the World Series.

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SHAPIRO: Last November, the Chicago Cubs won the World Series for the first time in more than a century. It was the team's best day ever.

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

The worst might have been October 14, 2003. The Cubs were up 3-0 in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series.

SHAPIRO: They were just five outs away from defeating the Florida Marlins and getting to the World Series.

CORNISH: And then the Marlins' Luis Castillo hit a ball that floated down the foul line towards the stands.

SHAPIRO: Cubs outfielder Moises Alou ran towards the ball. He thought he had it all the way.

CORNISH: So did Cubs fan Steve Bartman, sitting in his seat on that foul line. Right before the ball dropped into Alou's glove for the second out, Hartman reached for it.

SHAPIRO: And fumbled into Cubs infamy.

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THOM BRENNAMAN: Into the air down the leftfield line, Alou reaching into the stands and couldn't get it. And he's livid with a fan.

CORNISH: Alou was livid.

SHAPIRO: Castillo was not out.

CORNISH: And the Cubs fell apart.

SHAPIRO: The Marlins scored eight runs after that play for a stunning comeback win, as Cubs fans across the country were subjected to the replay of Bartman over and over and over.

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BRENNAMAN: Now, that's a Cub fan who tried to make that catch.

UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER #2: Why?

CORNISH: Why indeed. Cubs fans were using that word and other words we can't say on air.

SHAPIRO: Fox play-by-play announcer Thom Brennaman tried to be reasonable.

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BRENNAMAN: Some out there may say, oh, the guys being sappy. You know what? You only hope for that young man goes to work tomorrow, goes home to his family tonight that people are going to understand the position that he was in and by no means blame him for anything that happened in that inning.

SHAPIRO: Oh, but they did blame Steve Bartman for that inning and for losing that chance to go to the World Series.

CORNISH: For a while, he was the most hated man in Chicago. He was harassed. He received death threats.

SHAPIRO: He has refused to appear in public since then and has only made a few statements through his lawyer, Frank Murtha. Murtha says fans would not let Bartman forget.

FRANK MURTHA: Calls would come into Steve's place of work, saying, he better not come out to the ballgame.

CORNISH: This week, the Cubs tried to make up for what Bartman's been through.

SHAPIRO: They gave him a 2016 World Series ring of his very own.

CORNISH: Bartman in turn issued another statement.

SHAPIRO: (Reading) I am relieved and hopeful that the saga of the 2003 foul ball incident surrounding my family and me is finally over.

CORNISH: He continued.

SHAPIRO: (Reading) I humbly receive the ring not only as a symbol of one of the most historic achievements in sports but as an important reminder for how we should treat each other in today's society.

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