Could Steve Bartman have been saved by a baby?
That’s the consensus after Keith Hartley interfered with a foul ball on Tuesday night at Wrigley Field.
The setup was a bit different. Depending on whom you talk to, Bartman possibly cost the Cubs their first championship in almost a century; Hartley cost the Cubs an out in a mid-season game they won anyway.
To refresh your memory, Bartman may have kept Cubs outfielder Moises Alou from catching the second out in the eighth inning of Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS, putting the Cubs four outs away from their first World Series since 1945.
Hartley snatched the foul ball from Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, seemingly saving Cubs batter Jason Hammel. However, after a replay review, the call was overturned and Hammel was ruled out.
Whoa, baby! Dad takes a foul ball away from Dodgers' Gonzalez at Cubs game. https://t.co/8uANO68Q4a
— Dan Cahill (@DanCahill787) June 24, 2015
Still, Hartley became an instant internet sensation and TV star, appearing on several shows. Bartman was removed from Wrigley Field, living a life of ignominy since.
Doesn’t seem fair.
[WATCH] @Kelly_Crull chats w/father who made grab: 'I've gotten a lot of Anti-Bartman so far' http://t.co/oLxVoje2iI pic.twitter.com/d5GHH0NMmL
— NBC Sports Chicago (@NBCSChicago) June 24, 2015
Soooo if Bartman had been feeding a baby when he caught the ball, he wouldn't be hated?? #Cubs
— JustDarnGoodSports (@JDGSports) June 24, 2015
"I was hoping it wouldn’t be like a Bartman-type situation," Hartley said. "Some of my friends texted me, 'You’re the anti-Bartman.'" #Cubs
— Jay Cohen (@jcohenap) June 24, 2015
