Chicago Cubs plan to reach out to Steve Bartman to bring closure

Chicago Cubs owner Tom Ricketts wants to make things right with Steve Bartman and plans to reach out to him.

The name Steve Bartman is a well-documented named in baseball history. Specifically with the Chicago Cubs, after his inadvertent mishap in the 2003 National League Championship Series. Now, the Cubs want closure after winning the World Series and plan to make contact with him.

To jog your memory, Bartman was the man who attempted to catch a foul ball during Game 6 of the NLCS at Wrigley Field. The Cubs had 3-2 series lead on the Florida Marlins and was four outs away from reaching the World Series. When he reached for the ball, he deflected it and messed up an attempt by left fielder Moises Alou to make a play. It led to the Cubs giving up eight runs in the inning, and they were eliminated from the NLCS a day later.

In the days that followed, Bartman had to be placed under police protection due to his actions. He received death threats and his status as a Cubs fan was essentially revoked by anybody that had a shred of love for the team. As we know by now, the Cubs have won this year’s World Series. And they think it’s time to make amends with Bartman over the incident.

Team owner Tom Ricketts has plans on reaching out to him, possibly before the start of the 2017 season, and hopefully putting to rest a nasty history that arguably changed Bartman’s life. According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Ricketts wants to reach out to provide closure for all parties involved.

"I’m sure we’ll reach out to him at the right time. And I’m sure we’ll figure out something that provides closure for everybody. Hopefully, we can make it work."

The question now, is what does that mean for both sides? Will the Cubs fanbase forgive Bartman, now that they have put that pesky 108-year curse behind them?  Jason Kipnis, second baseman for the Cleveland Indians, has an idea. In an article for FOX Sports, Kipnis suggests the possibility of throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before a game at Wrigley Field.

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Whatever the outcome, it will definitely be interesting to see what happens when Ricketts and company decide to reach out to Bartman. Expect mixed emotions, but it’s definitely time the two sides put this entire situation behind them.