"You Can't Blame Steve Bartman"
In April 2005, ESPN2 launched the series The Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame... by examining the top five reasons why Bartman should not be blamed for the Cubs' playoff collapse. Reruns of the episode have since been aired on ESPN Classic, which now televises the show.
ESPN's case for exonerating Bartman was as follows:
5. Moisés Alou. If he would've kept his cool and simply treated the foul ball as a missed opportunity, the rest of the Cubs might not have lost their composure, either.
4. Dusty Baker. The Cub manager should have calmed everybody down, but he never even left the dugout for a mound conference.
3. Alex Gonzalez. Without his error, the Cubs would have been out of the inning with just one run allowed (on an Ivan Rodriguez single).
2. There was still a Game 7, and the Cubs were leading that game as late as the top of the fifth inning. They had their chances to make Bartman a footnote in team history, rather than a municipal "anti-icon". They lost Game 7.
1. The Marlins were the better team. They won more games in the 2003 season than the Cubs did, had a higher batting average, higher slugging average, more hits, more runs, more RBI, and more stolen bases. In addition, after clinching the pennant they beat the New York Yankees in the World Series.
Originally Posted by GottaHavePride
