Steve Bartman Not Allowed To Die Quietly

ESPN is producing a documentary on Steve Bartman, finally giving the world the narrative no one asked for. It's sure to rip out the hearts of Cubbies fans, the players don't want it, and I'm guessing Bartman's not thrilled either.

The documentary will attempt to answer the question: "Can Steve Bartman ever forgive Chicago?" It'll be tough to get a satisfactory answer to that question, considering Bartman wants nothing to do with this project. The Cubs aren't much more supportive.

I don't know what difference it's going to make for the fans of Chicago, or for Bartman himself," [Aramis] 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."

As of press time, 63.9% of respondents to a poll on the Tribune's website say nothing good can come of the documentary. The 36.1% minority is, perhaps not-so-coincidentally, about the same percentage of White Sox fans in Chicagoland.

ESPN Planning Bartman Documentary [Chicago Tribune]