Why would they do that? Did they print his home address too? Idiots. BTW, I loved how Alex Gonzales practically blamed the fan for the loss. What a worthless loser, passing the buck to one of his own fans...
A good article that explains it wasn't only the fan that was responsible for the Cub's collapse. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Cubs Handed One More Cruel Twist By RAFAEL HERMOSO Published: October 15, 2003 CHICAGO, Oct. 14 - The next ghost for the Chicago Cubs to conquer was supposed to be the World Series, not one seated down the left-field line. But the Cubs' curse resurfaced in the eighth inning Tuesday night. Chicago led by three runs with one out and a runner on first base when a fan along the left-field wall wearing headphones over a Cubs cap reached out and blocked a foul fly hit by Luis Castillo that left fielder Moises Alou had a chance to catch. Castillo eventually walked against the Cubs' Mark Prior, and the inning really began to unravel. Shortstop Alex Gonzalez later bobbled a grounder, reminding everyone at Wrigley Field of the power of history. The Marlins came rushing back with an eight-run eighth inning, beating the Cubs, 8-3, in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series and putting them on the brink of one of the most hard-to-believe collapses in a franchise history full of tough luck. Now it comes down to Game 7 on Wednesday night, with Kerry Wood, the Cubs' other young ace, going against Mark Redman. Before Tuesday night, the Cubs were 5-0 in postseason games started by Prior or Wood. "It has nothing to do with the curse," said Cubs Manager Dusty Baker, who has preached all season not to look back. "It has to do with the fan interference, the very uncharacteristic error by Gonzo, because he doesn't miss anything. And then they just started hitting. It has nothing to do with the curse. It has to do with their bats." Alou played the role of Tony Tarasco, the Baltimore Orioles right fielder who in the 1996 American League Championship Series looked up at the Yankee Stadium wall to see 12-year-old Jeffrey Maier lean over and turn a flyout by Derek Jeter into a home run. After initially being furious, Alou and his teammates were forgiving of the Cubs fan, who was not identified, and tried to rationalize the defeat. "We can't really feel sorry for ourselves because we had a shot," Alou said. "It's not like we blew it. Something happened that's out of our control, and it really changed the tide of the game." Prior had composed himself after allowing three base runners in the first two innings. His 95-mile-an-hour fastball and swooping breaking ball baffled the Marlins. By the eighth inning, most of the crowd of 39,577 had joined the fans in the outfield bleachers in standing and holding beers as if raising a toast. For once, they thought, there was no possibility of a Cubs collapse. With the team's first pennant since 1945 in its grasp, a block party was about to erupt outside Wrigley. By the late innings, the corner of Clark and Addison behind home plate was closed to traffic and flooded by fans waiting to celebrate. Thirty police officers stood as the crowd inside chanted, "Let's Go Prior!" Sawhorses and metal barriers kept fans from the stadium walls. Baker asked fans to remain positive for what he called "probably one of the biggest games in Cubs history." A sense of excitement and dread seemed to exist since the Cubs lost Sunday, 4-0. The Cubs were 3-6 in series-clinching games in their postseason history, with three straight losses to the San Diego Padres in the 1984 N.L.C.S., when they were one victory from the World Series. Florida, meanwhile, is trying to become the ninth team to rally to win a seven-game postseason series after trailing by three games to one. Juan Pierre singled with one out in the eighth, but the crowd roared when Prior got two strikes on Castillo. Castillo, a left-handed slap hitter, fouled a ball down the left-field line, and Alou approached the brick wall. He raised his glove for the catch, but three fans reached out for the ball as it fell toward the railing. One fan deflected the ball into the stands, and Alou reacted angrily. "I felt terrible for the guy because, hey, everybody wants the ball," Alou said. "When it happened, I was really upset but now I feel sorry for him." Alou said he was tormented for the next five minutes, knowing how talented and adept the Marlins have been at coming back. Castillo walked on a full count, Prior's pitch getting past catcher Paul Bako for a wild pitch that sent Pierre to third. Ivan Rodriguez lined an 0-2 curveball to left, scoring Pierre for the Marlins' first run. Miguel Cabrera bounced the next pitch to short, where Gonzalez shuffled to his right and had the ball go off his glove for an error, loading the bases. Derrek Lee lined Prior's next pitch for a two-run double, tying the score at 3-3. Prior came out, and as reliever Kyle Farnsworth warmed up, the fan who had interfered with the foul ball began getting pelted with debris. Security guards escorted the man away an inning later. Mike Lowell was walked intentionally, Jeff Conine hit a sacrifice fly to break the tie and Mike Mordecai doubled in three runs. He scored on Pierre's single, Florida led by 8-3 and the Cubs were crawling to Game 7. Afterward, some fans sat quietly in their seats, staring at the emptying field. At the packed Cubby Bear bar across the street, fans bowed their heads in near silence as Florida's improbable comeback mounted. "I feel like it's all my fault," said one patron, Peggy Lucas, 35, of Evanston, Ill. "Just before the Marlins started scoring, I said, `I can't believe we're going to the World Series.' I should have known better with the curse and all." Inside the Cubs' clubhouse, Randall Simon, Aramis Ramirez and Alou sat digesting the play, Simon replaying it with his hands. "Things are going to happen, and it's too bad it happened to us," Alou said. "It was a great game, and we probably could be celebrating right now."
Man...when I saw this thread this morning I thought it really happened. I watched the game and saw what happened and the escort at the end etc. Anyways, Let's go Marlins!! Beat dem Cubbies down!
I read the article and they, the newspaper, painted him as a "die-hard" fan. It was a very sympathetic article and they probably revealed his name to have people feel sorry for the guy. One thing that I found hard to believe in that article is that they said that after he interfered with Alou for that ball, he just kept his headphones on and had no clue that people were going ballistic about what he did! It goes on to say that it wasn't until after the inning was over with the Cubs losing that he realized that they were all pissed at him! Talk about being out of it...yikes!
an email I just got from my wife... ------------------------------------------------------ LOL!!!! This is so funny: This new employee (Mary) that I work directly with graduated from Notre Dame, which is where the poor unfortunate guy who caught the infamous foul ball last night graduated from, and he actually works for one of our clients. SO - turns out that one of Mary's friends had a class or 2 with this guy, "went out" with him, and actually has a picture of them together and he's wearing his baseball uniform! LOL!!!!! This guy is now a legend! LOL!!!!!!! Apparently, he's a HUGE baseball fan (obviously), and even coaches a little league team in Illinois.
OMG! The guy actually works for Hewitt Associate at the home office in Lincolnshire--I work for Hewitt in The Woodlands office. His HR manager is making him take a week leave for "his own protection".....GO FISH!!
I work for Morgan Stanley. But my wife just confirmed that this guy does work for Hewitt Associates. Her firm is a company that does consulting for them. this is too funny...
"It's not like we blew it. Something happened that's out of our control, and it really changed the tide of the game." -- Moises Alou No, jackass, it's EXACTLY like you guys blew it. How pathetic. How cub. Go Fish.
Dead on Buck. The tide of the game??? They were up by three with one out. If you're on a mad comeback then something like that might halt your momentum. But a walk, a wild pitch, an error, and eight runs in an inning is pretty much "blowing it." A missed out on a foul ball in the stands can't be blamed for all that... Sorry cubbies.
If a Marlins' win wouldn't make me slap myself for forgetting to bet $25 to win ~$1100, then I'd definitely be rooting for them.
Yeah, everyone in our Hewitt office has been clownin' on him--they might just transfer him down here....guess he needs to change his NL central following to the Stros!
I feel bad for what he must be going through, but this guy sounds like a cross between a D&D freak and baseball fan. LVL48 PUNCH AND JUDY
weren't they still up 3-1 after that play? it's not like he interfered with a game-tying homerun, it was a foul-ball. whether alou gets that ball or not they were in prime position to win and their own players blew it. alex gonzalez primarily. what a loser if he's actually blaming it on that guy.
Did he allow the newspaper to print his name? That is so f'ing stupid. And if the newspaper did it on their own, no matter their reason, they have ruined the guy's life. Everyone has access to his home and office address, email, phone, and other records to harrass him. You don't think sickos aren't looking up his history. I think he was led out with a towel or blanket over his head cause he was getting pelted by beer, ice, cups, and whatever else that could he thrown his way.
i learned this in college... these are the worst of possible words tinkers to evers to chance a trio of bearcubs and fleeter than birds tinkers to evers to chance constantly pricking my ganfallon bubble making a giant hit into a double words that are weighty with nothing but trouble tinkers to evers to chance p.s. i'm an astros fan! but i love baseball history!!!
wow!!! i hadn't heard he said that....that may be the worst statement by a pro athlete about a game situation i've ever heard.
