On Oct. 14, 2003, a Chicago man was transformed into the ultimate Cubs scapegoat.
During Game 6 of the National League Championship Series against the Florida Marlins, Cubs fan Steve Bartman was blamed for ruining Chicago's chance to advance to the World Series when he tried to grab a Luis Castillo popup foul ball, deflecting it out of the reach of leaping outfielder Moises Alou.
The Cubs led the series three games to two and were up 3–0 in the eighth inning of Game 6. Had they won, they would have earned a trip to the World Series for the first time in 58 years.