Chicago Cubs manager David Ross. (Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports)
The Miami Marlins are marking the 20th anniversary of their 2003 NLCS comeback by trolling the Cubs with “Bartman Appreciation Weekend.”
Twenty years ago this October, the Cubs melted down against the Marlins in the NLCS. Twenty years ago this October, Steve Bartman became a household name for all the wrong reasons.
Miami decided to invoke Bartman’s name for “Bartman Appreciation Weekend” when the Cubs come to town at the end of April.
Clowning Chicago for the NLCS meltdown? Absolutely fair game. Using Bartman to do it? That’s crossing a line.
Marlins are completely tactless with Cubs trolling
As many Cubs fans were quick, and right, to point out, the only thing Bartman has asked for since that fateful October was peace. The man was harassed and received death threats over that moment. Every single action he has taken since has been focused on avoiding the spotlight. The least baseball fans could do is to leave him alone.
Not cool, Marlins. Not cool.
The Marlins went on to win Game 6 despite trailing 3-0 in the eighth inning when Bartman got in the way of Moisés Alou catching the foul ball for what might have been the second out of the inning. Then they won Game 7 to advance to the World Series, where they bested the Yankees.
But the game wasn’t just about Bartman. Alex Gonzalez had a chance at a double-play to end the inning with just one run scored but he misplayed it. The Cubs pitching staff lost their cool. It was a team loss. And the loss the next day was still to come.
Moreover, it was an impressive feat by the Marlins to overcome a deficit in the game and then the series. Maybe more thought should be spent on celebrating the comeback than clowning the most injured party from it.