Pearl Jam fan steals home during Wrigley Field concert, crashes through fence

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A Pearl Jam fan lines up to steal home Saturday at Wrigley Field | YouTube

As steals of home plate at Wrigley Field go, it was nearly textbook — the runner took a lead off third base, hesitated as he checked for signals and then sprinted down the line before sliding toward the bag.

Only there was no throw as the runner approached home — just a bunch of security guards bearing down on him. It wasn’t during a Cubs game but the Pearl Jam concert on Saturday night at Wrigley, and the man who attempted to steal home then went crashing through a barricade before being hauled off by the guards.

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“The crowd by me cheered when he took off, cheered a little more when he slid, and then really roared when he got taken out by security,” recalled Michael Hansen, who was at the show. “It was the second to the last song of the night, so I think that was a good time to do it since he didn’t miss much after they escorted him out. I was cheering for him.”

The whole incident, not surprisingly, was captured on video — and posted to YouTube.

An intro on one of the videos posted to YouTube Sunday says it was taken during an encore at the show while Pearl Jam was doing a rendition of Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World.” Most fans were looking toward the outfield, where the band’s stage was set up. Nearly all of the fans watching from the field were standing in the outfield grass or at the top of the infield. That left much of the infield empty — including the the third base line.

About 37 seconds into the video, a fan in a green shirt and gray shorts can be seen apparently climbing over a barricade at the bottom of the screen. He then lines up in the infield dirt along the foul line, as if taking a lead off third base. He looks around, then takes off towards home. He slides — although he appears to come up a little short of home.

He gets up and starts looking around again, and then does a little dance as two red-shirted security guards come running at him. He takes off toward a metal barricade behind home plate and attempts to hurdle over it — but comes up short again. He ends up knocking over the fence just as the guards are trying to tackle him.

The video ends with guards standing over him and more guards running toward him.

Another video, taken from the upper deck, shows the fan from above. The fan can be seen in this one starting at about 7 seconds in.

The intro to this video states: “Man becomes legend. Clearly an up and coming prospect for the Cubs. Guy gets on infield, looks off pitcher, steals home during rocking in the free world.”

The man wasn’t identified in either video. On Monday, Chicago police said they had no record of any arrests inside Wrigley Field.

Pearl Jam played another concert at Wrigley Monday night.

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