Cubs give Steve Bartman a 2016 World Series championship ring
Steve Bartman, infamous for his 2003 mishap at Wrigley Field, will be receiving a 2016 Chicago Cubs World Series ring.
With the MLB trade deadline literally hours away, there is one matter that has stolen the spotlight for at least a few minutes. Chicago Cubs fans, do you remember Steve Bartman? Of course you do…we ALL do, Well he will be receiving a 2016 World Series ring, courtesy of the team. That’s a real statement.
The Cubs issued a statement to WGN-TV on Monday, stating their intentions. According to the statement, the ring will be presented as a gift from team owner Tom Ricketts, his family, and the Cubs organization. Bartman will forever be remembered as the guy that interfered with a foul ball in the left field corner, during Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS. The interference caused Moises Alou to misplay the ball, and the Cubs would eventually lose the game and the series. Bartman was blamed by thousands of Cubs fans across the country for his actions.
Ricketts stated that he hopes this offering brings closure for what has been seemingly a lifetime of ridicule to Bartman over the incident.
"On behalf of the entire Chicago Cubs organization, we are honored to present a 2016 World Series Championship ring to Mr. Steve Bartman. We hope this provides closure on an unfortunate chapter of the story that has perpetuated throughout our quest to win a long-awaited World Series. While no gesture can fully lift the public burden he has endured for more than a decade, we felt it was important Steve knows he has been and continues to be fully embraced by this organization. After he has sacrificed, we are proud to recognize Steve Bartman with this gift today."
Bartman also issued a lengthy statement saying he will accept the ring. The statement does not include any plans to do this publicly in any capacity. Numerous fan-started attempts to get Bartman to come back to Wrigley Field have not been successful.
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While a large number of Cubs fans probably still won’t forgive Bartman for that incident, it shows the class of the Ricketts family to give a ring to a guy who has been mentioned more than the players themselves. It’s a huge statement, in terms of the team moving forward from all of this.