Catching Hell
Alex Gibney isn't known for sports documentaries, well at least he wasn't prior to the "Catching Hell". 2003, the Cubs were playing the Florida Marlins for a championship title when a fan just reached a little further than normal and deflected the ball from the outfielder Alou catching the ball. It was the hometown team, the Chicago Cubs, and everyone in Wrigley Field at that time was hoping this was the end of the curse, the end to new beginnings until the 7th inning ruined all hope and took a turn for the worst.
Scapegoating comes up a lot in this film. It takes a look not only at Steve Bartman, the man who robbed the Cubs of their chances at an in to the world series in 1986, but Bill Buckner, The Red Sox first baseman who fumbled the ball and cost them their own chance at a series in 68 years.
Bartman has been in hiding, ever since that championship game, where he was blamed for the loss, the entire loss of the Cubs. He was just a fan enjoying the game, listening to the radio, hearing the sports announcements just like any other fan. He was doing what any other fan would do, reach for the ball that was played during one of the most intense amazing games to be seen in years. But no, the Chicago Cubs fans said over and over, "We could have had that game, If it wasn't for that a@#$%^!, we could have gone to the World Series, a place we hadn't seen for a very long time.
But Bartman wasn't at fault for the game, not only did that happen, but Gonzalez, the Cubs shortstop fumbled a play that also could have ended the game and won it for them fumbled the ball that could have given them a pass to the World Series and a Championship title, Instead Bartman was escorted out of the stadium with beer and pizza being thrown at his face, with death threats and the glare of thousands and thousands of fans, hating him.
Gibney, the director of this film also covers the Bill Buckner story, the guy who "ruined it" for Red Sox fans everywhere in the 1986 Championships. After a quarter century he finally figures out why he missed that ball, what caused him to miss one of the most important baseline balls in history. It took over 20 years, and 2 World Series Championships by the Red Sox to get Buckner back on the field and throw out the first pitch, because once that game was won, every fan out there didn't even remember the fumbled ball. As a younger fan myself, I had never heard of the story until this 30 for 30 came out.
Seeing how Buckner figured out why he missed that ball, maybe makes him feel better, a piece of mind, a type of closure. For Steve Bartman and the Chicago Cubs, they possibly will never know. The question of what if Steve Bartman never reached out for the ball? Would Alou have been able to catch that ball and go on to win the championship, then the World Series? Until the Cubs win that championship, I don't think Bartman will ever come out of hiding, or will the Cubs fans ever forget his name.
I think this blog needs to focus more on the film its self and talk about the aspect of what Bartman went through after that game. Over all this blog is very good but needs to focus more on the film.
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