FAN PASSION GONE ROGUE!

In the world of baseball, there’s a certain badge of honor reserved for the die-hard fan willing to cross the line—literally. Call it “fan interference,” call it chaos, but if it’s in the name of team loyalty, it’s just another page in baseball’s hilariously knuckleheaded playbook. Far from ruining the game, these over-the-top antics are folklore now, proof that some fans take “all-in” to the next level—especially if it means they get to play hero.

Start with Steve Bartman, the Cubs fan everyone loved to hate in 2003, who innocently reached for a foul ball and, in the process, became the fall guy for an entire season’s heartbreak. Was Bartman’s grab the nail in Chicago’s cursed coffin? Hardly. But it became the scapegoat for a team desperate to make it to the promised land. Bartman wasn’t misplaying ground balls or giving up runs.

21 years ago today. The Steve Bartman Game.

This app would have broke had twitter existed during this time. pic.twitter.com/0XYS23Dmtj

— The Braves are really Broken (@ATLthechamp2021) October 14, 2024

 No, he was simply a fan caught up in the thrill of October baseball, unknowingly slipping himself into Cubs lore. And guess what? The Cubs eventually forgave him, even giving him a championship ring in 2016. That’s right, folks: Bartman went from city scapegoat to ring-bearer without ever setting foot on a diamond.

And Bartman? Hardly the only fan with guts (or lack of common sense) to join the ranks. Zoom back to 1996, when 12-year-old Yankees superfan Jeffrey Maier decided to give Derek Jeter a little nudge in the right direction—literally—by snagging a ball from over the fence in Game 1 of the ALCS.

On this date in 1996, Jeffrey Maier happened. pic.twitter.com/yQ82NM4O3t

— MLB (@MLB) October 9, 2019

 Orioles' fans still cry foul to this day, but Maier’s unintentional assist has made him an icon in Yankees lore. That gloved reach got him a New York hero’s welcome and a place in baseball’s Hall of Mischief.

Now, fast-forward to the present: Yankees fans Austin Capobianco and his partner-in-crime John Peter. These two masterminds, season ticket holders with a plan, waited for the perfect moment to help their team by prying Mookie Betts' glove open as he caught a foul ball. Yes, it was interference. Yes, they got ejected. But, to them, it was worth every second.

Now that’s resilience. pic.twitter.com/NON2SnFcb8

— Robert Casey (@BleednYankeeBlu) October 30, 2024

Capobianco’s motto? “If the ball’s in our area, we’re gonna ‘D’ up.” That’s dedication. And who could blame them? Sometimes you’ve got to risk it all for the love of the game—even if it means outsmarting a former MVP.

And let’s give a shoutout to Morganna “The Kissing Bandit” Roberts, a fan so infamous she practically wrote the rulebook on fan interference. In the late '60s, Morganna went beyond barriers (and the law) to give her favorite players a cheeky peck on the cheek, earning herself a record-breaking number of trespassing charges and fans along the way.

Cal Ripken Jr. gets swept off his feet by Morganna Roberts aka “The Kissing Bandit” pic.twitter.com/HMJDJ6VDrD

— Baseball Legends (@Leg_baseball) May 24, 2023

Morganna didn’t care about fines or field security; she was there to give the fans a show. She may have made security guards panic, but her fans? They loved every minute.

So the next time you see an ump signal fan interference, know it’s a salute to these champions of fandom. Are they knuckleheads? Oh, definitely. But their passion is priceless. Here’s to the Austins, the Jeffreys, the Steves, and Morganna—the legends who remind us that baseball’s greatest fans aren’t afraid to dive headfirst into the action (and trouble) for their team.

--Alvin Izzo
BYB Yankee History Contributor

#BYB COMMENTARY: LOVABLE LOSERS!

To my BYB readers, I wanted to share this with you.  This is from my brother from another mother, Joey Moses.  He's one of the first "fans" I met when BYB started and we've been in touch ever since.  Read BONDING OVER A PINT for more about that. 

Anyway, the Cubs won the World Series Wednesday. The movie, Back to the Future was one year off, and this guy from 1993 was right. And what's funny is, it's been so long, if you ask anyone in the baseball world, they all know about the Curse of the Billy Goat, but no one really knows what the story is.

Needless to say, Joey Moses is a baseball fan just as much as he is a true blue Yankee fan, and it wouldn't be right to not share his commentary on not only the Chicago Cubs, but their wonderful fans.  

And so, on this Saturday, I give you this from my pal, Joey. Thanks bro. 

Congrats again to the Cubs!

-Casey 

They were the lovable losers, who became the center of the baseball universe. They were the team you were afraid to hate, but were scared to believe in. History wasn't kind to the Cubs and their fans, and the future will hopefully be gentle now.

I'm 9,928 miles away from my first true baseball love, the Bronx bombers, the mighty New York Yankees. I'm 9,237 miles away from Wrigleyville and the home plate upon which the Great Bambino famously called his shot.

But today, I have never felt closer to the baseball world or the die hard fans who passionately started this euphoric journey back in the early spring days of April. It's very hard to express through writing, the certain emotions that overcome you when you experience and see something that you have never seen before. Something your father hasn't seen before, or your grandfather as well. Not to mention the millions as well. Many have only dreamt... until now.

A lineage of suffering, pain and heartbreak is now gone. A legacy of failure and disappointment, gone. A lifetime of hope and "maybe next year"... yeah... gone. With one swing of a bat and a ground out to first, a city that has spent its baseball life trying to wipe away their tears from the constant pages of negative headlines, can now turn to the ghosts of baseball past and say we belong with the best!

We can now forgive Steve Bartman and we can now surely excuse the smell from the goat of Billy Sianis. Because the Cubs are no longer just lovable losers.

They're sitting on top of the baseball world.

Field of Dreams, in my opinion one of the greatest baseball movies of all time, gave us an amazing quote that resonates deep with us more so today, than it ever will.

Terrance Mann, played by James Earl Jones, goes on to say "The one constant through the years, has been baseball...this field, this game, its a part of our past. It reminds us of all that was once good and it could be good again".

Well, Terrance, again is now.


  

-- Joey Moses, Australian, Yankee fan 
Bleeding Yankee Blue contributor

JAY-Z IS NOT STEVE BARTMAN: A FAN'S TAKE

Earlier this week, Ike Dimitriadis wrote a piece titled: JAY-Z: THE YANKEES STEVE BARTMAN. The reviews were mixed, but it was insanely popular. But in the spirit of fan fairness, I wanted to present another side to it.  Enter Lisa Bernikowicz, who took issue with our piece.  We here at Bleeding Yankee Blue are for the fans... and so, here's Lisa's take. It's quite different than Ike's.  I thank you Lisa... 

Here it goes Ladies and Gentlemen. -C

If Jay-Z is the Yankees' Steve Bartman, then what's next? Is Robinson Cano the Yankees version of "the Curse of the Billy Goat"?  That second sentence sounds truly absurd, and yes, there is no real correlation between the two. Look, it's just as absurd to the Jay-Z / Bartman comparison. 

Jay-Z has been a loyal die-hard Yankee fan for his entire life. Steve Bartman is a loyal die hard Cubs fan as well. But that's where the comparison ends.  Steve Bartman would bring his radio to games and listen to the play-by-play as he sat in the stands straight out down the 3rd base line. These are tickets he had always had and were some of the best seats in the house. Jay-Z, I believe, sits in the very expensive "Legends" seats near home plate in Yankee Stadium. Now here's the difference...

Steve Bartman  was at a game where the Chicago Cubs were on the verge of going to the World Series for the first time since 1948. He reached over, he deflected a foul ball at the NLCS in 2003 and ten years later, that man is still the pariah of Chicago and Wrigley Field.  Steve Bartman had to leave town. He went into hiding. He had to give up his tickets and his Cubs.  Jay-Z on the other hand, won't have to do any of that.

Many believe that that foul ball defection spelt the demise of the Cubs and has become yet another curse to the organization. Chicago fans have been talking about this since 2003.  As a matter of fact, the fans are still talking about "the Curse of the Billy Goat" from 1948 as well. Even Mark Grace referenced the story one year ago on the Jay Leno Show. This is what Cubs fans do. Whether it's because it's something for them to hang onto and blame their lack of winning a World Series since 1908, who knows, but it's there.  

Look, in 10 years or probably even 5, Yankee fans will not be sitting around discussing Robinson Cano OR Jay-Z and how that ONE loss of a player is our curse. In other words, this signing of Cano to Seattle, will not be our demise as Yankee fans!  What we will more likely be saying is "Hey the Yankees are playing the Mariners tonight. What's their lineup? Does Robinson Cano still play for them? Haven't heard much about him in years."  With luck on our side, we will have won #28 and he will not have seen a World Series since his signing.  We Yankee fans won't be sitting on corners selling shirts saying "The Curse of Jay-Z. Re-sign Cano so we can go back to the post-season!"  As Yankee fans, that is not how we roll, nor will it ever be! 

The final comparison that was referred, is that Steve Bartman had to have security escort him out and that Jay-Z will need that the next time he comes to Yankee Stadium. Forget that.  Jay-Z is a multi-millionaire. They guy has his own security, of course.  Steve Bartman? That guy has never been heard from again. But Jay-Z we'll unfortunately see again. 

Robinson Cano will become one of my mom's funny one-liners. She says,  "Robinson Cano. When did he start playing for Seattle and why would he leave New York?"

Yeah... that's about right. 

--Lisa Bernikowicz
BYB Guest Writer




Thank you to all the Bleeding Yankee Blue readers for continued success.  You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in the history of Yankees fandom.  Thanks for reading, sharing and enjoying. Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and join the group Bleeding Yankee Blue (Official) on Facebook, just type it in.

JAY-Z: THE YANKEES STEVE BARTMAN

Jay-Z, one of the most popular New York institutions, and one of the most successful hip-hop artists ever, finds himself atop the NYC’s Most Hated list. After the signing of his client Robinson Cano by the Seattle Mariners, the hate is in high-gear and aimed directly at Cano and at Jay-Z, deserved or not. I say that because it is unclear who was making the unreasonable demands for cash – Jay-Z or Cano or both – though the deal has both of their names on it. After reaching an $80M-wide stalemate with the Yankees, Jay-Z took his client to Seattle and was sent away empty-handed, allegedly because of unreasonable demands. One can only imagine the panic that ensued, and how flexible Roc Nation’s prime client became, when he and his agent chose to take the $240M over 10 years.

You have to wonder if in the middle of the madness of these negotiations, maybe Jay-Z lost perspective for a moment. In the hours after the contract announcement, I thought of a guy who in the heat of the moment, lost perspective, and now lives in infamy amongst the fans with whom he felt camaraderie.

I am talking about Steve Bartman. Bartman, for those that do not remember, is the man who interfered with a fly ball in foul territory during the Cubs/Marlins playoff series in 2003. He has not been heard from since his apology message to Cubs fans soon after the game.


Jay-Z is a lifelong Yankees fan, and Bartman a lifelong Cubs fan. Bartman was a typical fan who instinctively reached out for a foul ball hit near him, just like any of us would. Jay-Z, as a typical sports agent would, got what he felt was the best deal for him and his client. Blame was squarely placed on Bartman for the Cubs’ ultimate demise in the 2003, even though he had nothing to do with the epic failures on the field and in the dugout by the Cubs on that night.

Blame is being placed, at least in part, on Jay-Z for what may have been a prima donna client recklessly insisting on stratospheric dollar amounts. The fact that he did not put a gun to Cano’s head and make him sign a contract is beside the point. So is the fact that this was clearly Cano’s decision. Jay-Z is still a target of wrath. This is not to say that I am defending Jay-Z, but just that the final decision rested with Cano and that Jay-Z’s influence is unclear. What is clear is that there will be a reaction, directed at Jay-Z.

Unlike Bartman, Jay-Z is not going to disappear and go into hiding. He is the owner of a multi-million dollar media empire, and his face will continue to be out there. Nevertheless, here is one final parallel between him and Steve Bartman. Soon after the incident at Wrigley Field, we saw security personnel surround Bartman and help him leave the venue as beer and food was raining down on him. It will be interesting to see the security details surrounding Jay-Z the next time he sets foot in Yankee Stadium, and the fan reaction as his image is put up on the 6000 square foot Diamond Vision screen behind center field.

My guess is that it will not be pretty.


 
--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon
My blog is: Shots from Murderer's Row

   

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