Steve Bartman won't be at Cubs World Series parade

Steve Bartman will not be attending the Chicago Cubs World Series parade.

Perhaps no one is happier to see the Chicago Cubs win the World Series than infamous 2003 NLCS scapegoat Steve Bartman. The Cubs’ fan inadvertently kept Moises Alou from catching a foul ball, contributing to the team’s seventh inning collapse. After initially being ostracized by Chicago, hatred for him has died off in recent years. Despite this, he doesn’t want to show up in public. Even though his Cubs finally won a World Series, Bartman won’t be making an appearance at the parade.

“[Bartman] was just overjoyed that the Cubs won, as all the Cubs fans are,” said his lawyer Frank Murtha, via SI.com. “The one thing that Steve and I did talk about was if the Cubs were to win, he did not want to be a distraction to the accomplishments of the players and the organization.”

Spoken like a true fan. While Bartman showing up would be great, it would also draw attention away from the people who truly deserve it. His presence would likely interrupt the parade and could potentially ruin what should be a very joyous event.

The Cubs and their fans are trying to forgive Bartman. Many already have. However, it’s up to Bartman to decide when he’s ready to move on. He’s been quite unselfish over the years, never wanting to draw attention away from the Cubs. Whenever Bartman is ready to come back, the Cubs and their fans should welcome him back with open arms. Especially now that his infamous error of judgment in 2003 is no longer relevant.

While Bartman often gets blamed for the Game 6 loss in 2003, the team couldn’t overcome a few minor setbacks. It’s their own fault that they lost. They even had a chance to win Game 7, but blew it as well.