Bartman Ball
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Bartman Ball is the infamous baseball that was used by the Chicago Cubs in Game 6 of the 2003 National League Championship Series at Wrigley Field. Moises Alou tried to catch a foul ball hit by Luis Castillo of the Florida Marlins, but Cubs fan Steve Bartman, along with other fans around him, also tried to grab it. The ball was deflected into the stands, thereby allowing the Marlins to eventually score eight runs and win the game, 8-3. (The Cubs still had the lead and a chance to win after the foul ball, so that was not the lone culprit in their loss.) This forced a Game 7, in which the Marlins won, sending them to the World Series.
This incident is said to be related to the Curse of the Billy Goat, a superstition that supposedly began in 1945. On February 26, 2004, in the hope of ending the curse, the Bartman Ball, which had been purchased by Harry Caray's restaurant owner Grant DePorter for $113,824.16, was exploded to shreds in front of television cameras. MythBusters hosts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman provided commentary for Keith Olberman's coverage of the event. Harry Caray's restaurant then used the remnants, infused in vodka and beer, to flavor a special "Foul Ball Spaghetti" then sold to about 4000 Cubs fans.
