The Cubs Chronicle

The top of the 8th inning of tonight’s game was the most disappointing half-inning of baseball I have ever watched.

Up 3-2 in the series, 3-0 in the game, with just 5 outs to go before winning a National League pennant, and Mark Prior crusing along, everything seemed just right. Then Juan Pierre doubled to left.

Then came the fan interference – Luis Castillo hit a pop fly down the left field line. Alou reached the wall and jumped for the ball. But a fan went for the ball, too, and the fan’s hands got in the way. Alou’s glove was clearly in a position to make the play, and that would have meant 2 outs with a guy on. Instead, Castillo was given new life and drew a walk, with ball four getting past Paul Bako to put runners in first and third with 1 out.

Thom Brennaman and Steve Lyons told us for the rest of the game that you can’t blame the fan. Well, you can’t blame the fan for the Cubs’ collapse, but you can blame the fan for getting in the way, and making it harder on the Cubs. Thankfully, it sounds like Wrigley Field security did a nice job of safely escorting the fan out. Blaming the fan is one thing. Verbally and physically abusing him is another, and is much, much worse than anything the fan did to interfere with the play. It should also be noted that if that fan had not interfered with the play, there were two other fans ready and willing to do so had the actual interfering fan not been in the way. (Note: There are better pictures of the fan interference play than the one shown, but the one shown does not show the fan’s face. He likely thinks right now that it’s been shown enough.)

After that, an 0-2 curve to Pudge Rodriguez didn’t break a whole lot, and Rodriguez lined it into left to make the score 3-1. Then Alex Gonzalez dropped an easy grounder, loading the bases. Then Derrek Lee doubled to left, scoring 2 to tie the game. Prior was pulled for Kyle Farnsworth. After Farnsworth intentionally walked Mike Lowell, Jeff Conine hit a deep sac fly to right. For some unknown reason, Sammy Sosa threw toward the plate, allowing the runner on first to go to second, removing the force play and putting another runner in scoring position.

Then, after an intentional walk to Todd Hollandsworth, Mike Mordecai nailed a double to left-center. Mike Mordecai. Of course.

Farnsworth exited for Mike Remlinger, who allowed a single to Pierre to score Mordecai.

8-3. Game over.

And then Thom Brennaman starts talking about the goat curse. There’s nothing like listening to an announcer avoid talking real baseball in favor of an irrelevancy after your favorite team has just allowed 8 runs in an inning to lose Game 6 of a league championship series.

Again, the most disappointing half-inning I have ever watched.

If the Cubs come back from this tomorrow, Dusty Baker (and probably Kerry Wood, tomorrow night’s starter) deserves a lot of credit. The Cubs fell apart after the fan interference play. Of course, just because one thing follows another does not mean there is a cause-effect relationship. But it’s possible. And it’s possible it will carry over into tomorrow. The realist in me says that’s silly, that you can’t put that much meaning into one game.

For now, the realist in me has lost out.