13 Years Ago Today, Steve Bartman Dropped a Ball and Caught Hell

The Chicago Cubs have taken one step closer to breaking a 108-year drought that hasn't seen the club win a World Series title. Today marks the anniversary of what some believe to be the continuance of a "curse" that has now lasted another 13 years.

Steve Bartman. His name is a curse in and of itself to Cubs fans. He was the poor sap who reached for a foul ball - along with a number of other fans - that seemingly precipitated Chicago's eventual demise in game six of the 2003 NLCS against the eventual champion Florida Marlins.

The "Bartman Incident" and the man's subsequent self-imposed exile, were the subject of a tremendous ESPN "30 for 30" documentary film called "Catching Hell" which portrays Bartman as the sympathetic character instead of the villain that many fans think he is.

Will this finally be the year the Cubs break through and erase a century of futility? For Steve Bartman's sake, let's hope so.