The Bartman Ball auctioned

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The ball deflected off Steve Bartman's hand auctioned for $107k

gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 19 December 2003 15:30 (twenty-two years ago)

salt in the wound, bartman has a bunch of expletives, beer, and death threats hurled at him as he's escorted out of wrigley. meanwhile, "attorney jim" picks up the tainted ball and cashes it in for a cool 100g's, ouch.

metfigga (metfigga), Friday, 19 December 2003 18:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Wotta dick.

Kerry (dymaxia), Friday, 19 December 2003 20:55 (twenty-two years ago)

is it crazy to wonder if the kid'll ever feel comfortable going back to wrigley? not knowing the fanbase that well, i wonder if he'd actually have any real concerns for his safety.

metfigga (metfigga), Saturday, 20 December 2003 02:00 (twenty-two years ago)


He would have a tougher time at Comiskey (US Cellular) where the crowd's just a little more willing to bash someone's face in . . . if need be.

I think it's wrong to drop that kind of scratch (especially at this time of year) to buy a piece of history with the express purpose of destroying it. Typical stupid feelgood Cubs bullshit. I think the ball is significant and should not be destroyed, but what can you do when the Deep Pockets crew gets involved with one of their brilliant ideas.

Dicks!

gusbot (eternal_fields), Sunday, 21 December 2003 17:24 (twenty-two years ago)

What I'd like to see happen is the restaurant make a public event out of this, where the proceeds go out for a charity/Mr. Bartman.

Leee Marvin (Leee), Sunday, 21 December 2003 19:51 (twenty-two years ago)


No worries. They'll make it a public event . . . for dimbulbs who believe an empty public relations gesture somehow brings closure to this.

"We are going to destroy this ball because we don't like what it stands for (us losing)."

It's not like it's some Nazi memorabilia. It's an artifact loaded with meaning from a spectacular and surreal NLCS.

And while I'm at it, I'm having a real hard time understanding all the Bartman pity/sympathy. This "he did what anyone in his position would do" line of thinking is all-wrong. He got in the way, hurt the team he claims to love and was the catalyst in a really unusual chain of events that will be long remembered, regardless of stoopid ball destruction ceremonies and the like.

gusbot (eternal_fields), Sunday, 21 December 2003 20:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Nevermind the fact that several other people were reaching for the ball and that home team-fan interference happens anyway?

Leee Marvin (Leee), Monday, 22 December 2003 04:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Are you saying either of those factors excuse his feeble attempt at catching the ball and costing his team an out?

And I'm not sure it's a fact that several other people were reaching for the ball. Photographs shot from the angle facing the Bartman show several people recoiling from the action.

The ball was practically halved by the plane separating the field from the stands. He reached for it and flubbed it. You don't do that at home in that situation. A good baseball fan doesn't. I realize this can be argued all day, however.

I'm not saying Steve Bartman alone should bear the entire burden of another near-miss for the Cubs, but because he clumsily introduced himself into the situation, the ball has become significant and I think it's pretty typical (in that dopey Radio-720 sort of way) that some deep-pocketed Cubs fans would get involved and try to cleanse the record by destroying the ball.

gusbot (eternal_fields), Monday, 22 December 2003 05:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Aww you hate fun. Curses are fun!

Leee Marvin (Leee), Monday, 22 December 2003 22:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Bartman was acting on instinct and should not be held accountable for anything that transpired. Alex Gonzalez on the otherhand, is another story.

metfigga (metfigga), Monday, 22 December 2003 22:56 (twenty-two years ago)

two months pass...
the fate of the cursed ball

gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 25 February 2004 22:22 (twenty-two years ago)

the foul ball that couldn't be caught in October's playoffs will be obliterated by a special-effects expert

It sounds like they're going to use ILM err Industrial Light & Magic to fake the destruction and keep the ball in the safe someplace.

Leee = y'know... whitey (Leee), Wednesday, 25 February 2004 22:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes, they're going to pocket the real ball like they always do. It's a Cubs tradition.

Kerry (dymaxia), Wednesday, 25 February 2004 23:17 (twenty-two years ago)

What a waste. I hate to sound like this - but $113k could have done some people good rather than buying a ball that's just going to get blown up.

miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Thursday, 26 February 2004 06:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Since when has baseball (or in fact any professional sport) been about spending money sensibly? $113K is about a day and a half of A-Rod's wages.

ojitarian (ojitarian), Thursday, 26 February 2004 06:15 (twenty-two years ago)

What a waste. I hate to sound like this - but $113k could have done some people good rather than buying a ball that's just going to get blown up.

the ball is being blown up in an all-day charity event to benefit the jdrf (juvenile diabetes research foundation). the jdrf hopes to raise $1,000,000 from the festivities. i'd say something good is coming of it.

otto midnight (otto midnight), Thursday, 26 February 2004 13:55 (twenty-two years ago)

A friend of mine is funded by the JDRF and is a huge Cubs fan, so this will please him on two counts.

ojitarian (ojitarian), Friday, 27 February 2004 03:52 (twenty-two years ago)

seven years pass...

mlb network greatest game ever series is doing the bartman game tonight

J0rdan S., Sunday, 3 April 2011 20:29 (fifteen years ago)


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