Cubs Fan Holding Baby Makes Controversial Catch on Foul Ball
Call him baby Bartman.
During Tuesday's Dodgers-Cubs game in Chicago, a fan down the first base line caught a foul ball with one hand while holding a baby with the other. The umps reviewed the play and called the batter out, claiming the fan interfered with Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez as he tried to make the catch.
Unlike Steve Bartman, whose infamous interference in the 2003 National League Championship Series, made him a pariah in the city, this fan won cheers, mostly because it was just a regular season game and he caught a ball hit by a Cub. Of course, maybe you're in the camp that thinks he put his child at risk and shouldn't have been sitting in the front row with such a small child in the first place.
It was certainly an odd play and the Dodgers deserve credit for having fun with it.
This guy, named Keith Hartley, joins a short list of fans who've made catches while holding a baby and leaving the rest of us impressed by their skill.
Count Cubs manager Joe Maddon among those in awe of Hartley. "You worry about the baby, of course, but it looked like he had it under control. It looked like he did it before, almost. That was a great play."