The Steve Bartman incident: Looking back on the infamous Marlins-Cubs moment 20 years later (2024)

The Marlins may be out of this year's playoffs but 20 years ago on this day they were celebrating one of their more improbable wins and one of the most infamous plays in baseball history.

Saturday marks 20 years since the Oct. 14, 2003 Steve Bartman incident, which made the Cubs fan a household name and helped propel the then-Florida Marlins to the 2003 World Series.

Here's a look back at what happened:

Before the Incident

The Marlins entered the 2003 season with high expectations after a number of off-season aquisitions including catcher Ivan Rodriguez and outfielder Juan Pierre.

Rodriguez and Pierre joined an already strong lineup that included first baseman Derrek Lee and third baseman Mike Lowell.

On top of that, the Marlins featured a number of talented young pitchers like Josh Beckett, A.J. Burnett and Brad Penny.

Despite all the talent, the Marlins got off to a slow start under manager Jeff Torborg, going 16-22 before Torborg was fired in May.

Torborg was replaced with Jack McKeon, who turned the season around and led the Marlins to a 91-71 record, second in the National League East behind the Atlanta Braves.

Throughout the season, the Marlins made a number of big additions, including calling up rookies Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis from the minor leagues, trading for pitcher Ugueth Urbina, and bringing back "Mr. Marlin" Jeff Conine in a trade.

The Marlins made the postseason for the second time in the team's history as the Wild Card but had to face the San Francisco Giants in the National League Division Series.

The Giants, who won 100 regular season games and were led by slugger Barry Bonds, were heavily favored in the series and won Game 1 of the five-game series.

But the Marlins won the next three, including a dramatic Game 4 that ended 7-6 with the Marlins throwing out the potential tying run at the plate to end the game and the series.

Next, it was on to Chicago, to take on the Cubs, who won the NL Central with a 88-74 record and beat the Braves in five games in the NLDS.

The Marlins and Cubs split the first two games in Chicago, before the Cubs won the next two in Miami, putting them a win away from taking the series. The Marlins won Game 5, forcing a Game 6 back in Chicago.

With 18-game winner Mark Prior pitching, the Cubs took a 3-0 lead into the top of the 8th inning and quickly got the first batter to pop out to left, leaving Chicago five outs away from reaching the World Series for the first time since 1945.

The Bartman Incident

After Prior gave up a double to Pierre, Marlins second baseman Luis Castillo came to the plate.

Castillo lifted a pop fly to left that drifted into foul territory and near the first row of seats, where Cubs left fielder Moises Alou jumped to try to catch it.

At the same time, Steve Bartman, a lifelong Cubs fan who was sitting in the front row, reached for the ball along with other fans, and Alou wasn't able to make the catch.

A frustrated Alou slammed his glove and yelled at the crowd but the umpires determined that since the ball had left the field of play there'd be no fan interference.

Florida pitcher Mark Redman turned to his teammates in the dugout and said "Let's make that guy famous."

Sure enough, things quickly unraveled for the Cubs.

Instead of being the second out of the inning, Castillo's at-bat continued, and he drew a walk. Rodriguez then singled, bringing Pierre home.

Next came Cabrera, who hit a ground ball to Cubs shortstop Alex Gonzalez that should have been an inning-ending double play. Instead, Gonzalez dropped the ball, loading the bases and extending the inning.

The Marlins stayed on the attack, tying the game at 3-3 on a double from Lee. A sacrifice fly made it 4-3 Marlins, and Florida added four more runs, taking an 8-3 lead, which is how the game ended, forcing a winner-take-all Game 7.

The Aftermath

Almost immediately after the play, Bartman drew the ire of Cubs fans, who started pelting him with debris and yelling insults his way.

Things became so nasty, Bartman had to be escorted out of the stadium by security.

There wasn't too much time to think about all the drama that unfolded in Game 6, because Game 7 was the next night.

The Marlins kept the momentum, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the 1st inning, but Chicago tied it the next inning and even took a 5-3 lead at one point.

But the Marlins scored six more runs and the Cubs couldn't catch up. The game ended 9-6 and the Marlins headed to their first World Series since 1997.

The Marlins went on to beat the New York Yankees in the World Series for their second title.

For the Cubs, it was once again time to "wait til next year" for a franchise many thought was cursed.

Many also thought the Bartman ball was cursed, leading to it being publicly detonated in February 2004.

Bartman apologized but became a pariah and a scapegoat for some Cubs fans who blamed him for the team's woes.

Since the incident, Bartman has maintained a low profile, granting no interviews and making no public appearances, despite requests and even endorsem*nt offers.

He also declined to be interviewed for a 2011 ESPN documentary on the incident titled "Catching Hell."

In 2016, the Cubs finally won the World Series, ending their 108-year drought. It was later learned that the team had given Bartman a World Series ring.

"On behalf of the entire Chicago Cubs organization, we are honored to present a 2016 World Series Championship Ring to Mr. Steve Bartman," the Cubs said in a statement. "We hope this provides closure on an unfortunate chapter of the story that has perpetuated throughout our quest to win a long-awaited World Series."

"Although I do not consider myself worthy of such an honor, I am deeply moved and sincerely grateful to receive an official Chicago Cubs 2016 World Series Championship ring. I am fully aware of the historical significance and appreciate the symbolism the ring represents on multiple levels. My family and I will cherish it for generations," Bartman said in a statement. "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. My hope is that we all can learn from my experience to view sports as entertainment and prevent harsh scapegoating, and to challenge the media and opportunistic profiteers to conduct business ethically by respecting personal privacy rights and not exploit any individual to advance their own self-interest or economic gain."