The Cubs.

For some reason, I've always been a Cubs fan. It doesn't really make much sense. I'm from Mexico, and almost everyone I know grew up a Dodgers fan. And I get it. I mean, Fernando Valenzuela changed everything for us. Lord knows my father tried his my older brother and myself into Dodger fans. We had the uniforms and everything (my brother was Steve Sax, I was Ron Cey). From then on, we were almost obligated to love the Dodgers. I don't know if my brother ever did, he doesn't seem to have a particular allegiance to any baseball team, as a matter of fact. But that's besides the point. 

I think it was the Ron Cey dodger uniform that did it for me. I would watch him play, and he seemed like such an unlikely star. Here is this diminutive man playing the hot corner at 3rd base, and doing a fantastic job of it. When he would go up to bat, he looked completely out of place, like a 1st grader finally getting to play with his older brothers. His bushy mustache added to the comedy of the whole thing, and made him that much more endearing to me. 

When he joined the Cubs, I was there with him. I mean, as much as one could be back in those days. No internet, no Twitter, no 24 hour sports news cycles, we just had our local rag and an occasional episode of SportsCenter to keep us in the loop. I live in Mexico, so it was even harder for me. 

So I was a Cubs fan. That was it. Ryne Sandberg took Cey's place as my all-time favorite, and I stayed with them every step of the way. Promising seasons from Mark Grace, a playoff run or two that ended almost as fast as it started (I will forever hate Will Clark for pummeling my Cubbies in 1989). 

Then 2003 happened. Kerry Wood. Mark Prior. Dusty Baker. Aramis f'n Ramirez. Kenny Lofton. Carlos Zambrano. And our big guy, Sammy "Eeees so reeeeal" Sosa. They did great! They won the Division! They seemed poised to get to the World Series, just needing to get past the Braves and then the Giants or Marlins. It was destiny!

For a while there, it was. They were moments away from beating Florida in Game 6 of the NLCS and going to the World Series, where they would face the mighty Yankees. Even that seemed right. That the curse would end against the winningest team in MLB history was just... fitting. And then.... hell. Foul ball popped up, and poor Steve Bartman just happened to be in the worst fucking place at the worst fucking time. Never mind that at least 20 others reached for the ball, or that we don't even know if Moises Alou makes that catch. Never mind that a myriad of other things still had to happen for the Cubs to blow the game, which they did (they ended up giving up 8 runs that inning). Never mind all that. Steve Bartman was the scapegoat. Steve Bartman was to blame. 

That's awful. This guy is a lifelong Cubs fan. I'm sure he would give up anything to take that moment back if it meant his beloved Cubbies get to the World Series and make history. Instead, the Marlins take the series and wind up winning the whole thing (worst World Series champs ever, by the way, even if they have 2). I didn't see the game live. I was in class, on my laptop, and last I checked, the Cubs were still winning. When I got home, I was shocked to see that final 8-3, and even more shocked when I saw the reports and the hell that this poor guy was catching. 

ESPN recently ran a documentary chronicling the whole thing, and the despicable behavior thousands of people demonstrated that night. I get it, it's the heat of the moment, but nobody deserves that treatment for doing what anybody else in his position would've done. Are you seriously telling me you wouldn't reach for a foul ball? You're watching your beloved team, in the greatest baseball stadium still standing.. OF COURSE you would reach for a foul ball. 

Steve Bartman has gone into hiding. In this day and age, with the Facebook, and Twitter, and all of this shit, that's a feat unto itself. I know he feels bad about what happened that night. I know he thinks about it every day. He could've parlayed his "blunder" into millions of dollars by now, but instead he's kept quiet, probably waiting for that one perfect moment. That one perfect moment when the Cubs win the World Series. 

I'm waiting too. I'm waiting because I'm a Cubs fan. I'm waiting because I'm a sports fan. I'm waiting because it's going to be historic. 

I'm waiting because Steve Bartman would finally get the peace he deserves. 

Go Cubbies.