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South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com
ESPN planning Bartman documentary
Chicago Cubs players think controversy should fade away
By Paul Sullivan
Tribune reporter
August 2, 2009
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MIAMI -- ESPN's plan to produce a documentary on Steve Bartman isn't going over too well in the Cubs clubhouse.
According to an ESPN press release, the documentary will try to answer the question: "Can Steve Bartman ever forgive Chicago?"
Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee both played in Game 6 of the 2003 National League Championship Series, when Bartman's attempt to catch a foul ball preceded an eight-run eighth inning for the Marlins. Some blame Bartman for the collapse, and he has avoided publicity ever since.
Ramirez and Carlos Zambrano are the only two remaining Cubs from that team, while Lee played for the Marlins.
"I don't know what difference it's going to make for the fans of Chicago, or for Bartman himself," Ramirez said of ESPN's plans to forge ahead with or without Bartman's cooperation. "To me, I don't see anything positive coming out of it for me as a player, or for us as players."
Lee, who was part of the Marlins' rally, said Bartman already has been absolved by most knowledgeable fans, and a documentary would make things worse for him.
"They should probably let it go," Lee said. "It's a non-issue. It didn't change the game, no matter what anyone says. He did what any fan would've done, and there were five other people trying to do the same thing. He just happened to get his hand on it. At the time, we saw Moises [Alou] get upset, but it's a play that happens quite a bit.
"It's not like it was some crazy, random thing. It happened. Now let it go."
Ramirez agreed with Lee and said the foul ball did not have a bearing on the game's outcome.
"Mo had a chance to make that play, but the ball was in the stands," he said. "Otherwise, they would've called the batter out [for fan interference]. After that [ Alex] Gonzalez made an error and they scored five more runs, so it wasn't Bartman's fault. We just didn't get it done."
With that, the Marlins had a special 7th inning stretch routine/schedule during Friday's of which they were playing the Cubs.
Part of Friday's game was a between innings on-field skit where a mock trivia question prize was a billy goat, playing off the billy goat curse in Chicago.
