Three Runs Up
The Story of the World Series That Could Have Been
by
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FOREWORD –
by Laurie-ann Hart – a baseball Widow.
On the night of game six of the National League Championship Series between the Cubs and the Marlins, my husband, Ed (the Author of this book), was in the bedroom watching with vested interest as he was ‘rooting’ for the Cubs. “How awesome would it be to have a Cubs versus Red Sox World Series?”
He’d call it forth over and over again throughout the 2003 baseball season (as he did every season as far back as I can remember). On this particular night, in the 8th inning of what turned out to be one of the most memorable games in history, Ed came out of the room disgusted. “This is how they’re going to blow it this year…”
He went on to explain to me how a young man, a ‘die-hard Cubs fan’, reached out and interfered with the play. The Cubs were three runs up with five outs to go to get to their first World Series since 1945, with a chance to win their first championship since 1908, and this is how they were going to blow their chance at the series.
He turned on the television in the family room and I sat and watched with him as they replayed the interference of that devoted fan. I was blown away as I observed the thousands of fans all saying similar things as my husband.
The very next play was a routine ground ball to short and the fans all contributed as Alex Gonzalez bobbled the ball, losing the potential inning-ending double play.
Ed’s words were matched to the expressions of those fans at Wrigley. “OH, NO, HERE WE GO AGAIN...”
It was chaotic. Fans were in a panic. Anger raged toward that fan, Steve Bartman. I watched as Bartman was brought to tears as “fans” threw beer cups, peanut bags, and anything else they could reach, at him, as if he had single-handedly lost the game for the Cubs.
The energy of panic, blame and disgust from the fans everywhere grew more and more powerful. There was much talk of how the Cubs would never win a series because of that old ‘Billy Goat Curse’. I watched as the fans, yes, fans, literally created a loss for their team. The energy in the crowd was so focused on the curse and the fear of losing that they literally called it forth, holding the Cubs in their history.
When they lost, I said to Ed, “You really called that forth, didn’t you?”
How might it have looked if the fans let go of the curse, the history, even the possibility of a loss? What would the results have been had the fans recognized Bartman as he truly is still, a devoted Cubs fan, whose intentions were of highest good? After all, no one even got on base from that incident. It was a simple foul ball.
If you were all truly Cub’s fans, in the true sense, this book would have been about the real thing.
And to all you Boston Red Sox fans who are so hell bent on believing the ‘curse of the Bambino’? Take a good look. Three runs up and five outs to go. Pedro’s on the mound, obviously struggling when Grady approaches him…you know the story.
How did you call that forth? What were you saying in the moment Grady chose to leave Pedro in when you were certain he was finished? How many times did you say the words in thought and voice, “The curse of the Bambino…the Red Sox will NEVER win…THIS is how we are going to blow it this year?”
What I know about Red Sox fans, (My family is from the
Some even saw him.
Amazing…
Isn’t it time to take a look at the history of the fans?
What defines a true fan?
I’m a firm believer that there is much power in one and more power in the many. Out of the one comes a ripple like a drop of dew in the water. I suggest that in the power of the mind we got the results of 2003. The greater power is in the heart, the spirit of man.
I challenge Cubs and Red Sox fans to shift their beliefs, coming from a space of the human spirit, getting behind their teams in future years in a way they’ve never done before.
It’s time to let go of the curses and create miracles.
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About the Book
What if the world had never heard of Steve Bartman?
What if Alex Gonzalez had fielded that ground ball cleanly, and turned the pair?
What if Grady Little had listened when Pedro told him he was tired, and gone to the bullpen, which had, after all, been extremely effective throughout the post-season.
This story is about how the world and the 2003 World Series would have been had those things happened.
The stories in this book are a mixture of fact, fiction, fantasy, and fanaticism. Outside of
About the Author
Ed Hart is the General Manager of the Fullerton Flyers Professional Baseball team in the Golden Baseball League. He and his wife, Laurie-ann, are natives of
Hart has coached, umpired, played, and broadcast baseball throughout his life, prior to taking over as the GM of the Flyers.
He served a mission for his Church in
He studied broadcast journalism in college, as well, and was the local play-by-play announcer for community college and high school sports. He also volunteered to do Spanish radio broadcasts for one season in minor league baseball.
His heroes growing up were his Mom and Dad, Elaine and Jack, his brothers Steve and Ken, his sisters Sandra and Virginia, Vin Scully, Steve Garvey, Chick Hearn, and his high school baseball coach, Gene Martin.
He played hours of baseball in his room as a kid, either with a deck of cards (a game he invented – which was used to determine the outcome the Series in this book), or by throwing a tennis ball at his wall over and over again. Regardless of how the game was played, he focused on the broadcasting and player personnel sides of the game more than the on field aspects. He had dreams of running a team, making trades, calling the play-by-play.
While most children were put to bed with stories such Green Eggs and Ham, or Humpty Dumpty, he was read to sleep with stories of the old Hollywood Stars, Los Angeles Angels, Tinkers to Evers to Chance, Ted Williams hitting .406, and Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier.
He has loved baseball since he could hold a ball, and his passion for the underdog comes out in this book about World Series between the Red Sox and the Cubs!