Moises Alou never really cleared Bartman’s name

June 3rd, 2008 | Posted by PostmanR

You may remember a few month’s back when it was reported that everyone’s favorite urinator, Moises Alou, had finally cleared Steve Bartman’s name. You know, he wouldn’t have caught the ball anyways, all is forgiven etc. etc. Well, turns out that might not be so true after all. Mike Downey digs deep for the Chicago Tribune today and finds the real story. Apparently, Alou was just joking around with the AP reporter who penned the piece.

To wit:

In an actual interview a few days ago with Joe Carpozzi of the Palm Beach (Fla.) Post, the 41-year-old ex-Cub insists he would indeed have caught that infamous Oct. 14, 2003, foul ball at Wrigley Field had a fan not interfered with it.

Exactly as he has been saying all along.

[ … ]

A conversation thus having been struck up, Alou, according to Litke, said this: “Everywhere I play, even now, people still yell ‘Bartman! Bartman!’ I feel really bad for the kid.”

Followed by: “You know what the funny thing is? I wouldn’t have caught it anyway.”

Litke’s other son then told Alou: “Sure you would have.”

And that was that.

So why did the AP writer do a story on it? Why make such a big deal out of it?

He didn’t.

Months passed. Litke did not write a word about it. It was a funny moment on a Manhattan elevator with Alou, who now plays for the Mets, and no more. He and his boys got a laugh or two out of it, end of story.

But then on March 31 of this year, Litke wrote a long essay on 100 years of Cubs bad luck. It ran in USA Today and scores of other publications.

In the 29th paragraph—repeat, 29 paragraphs into the piece—Litke recounted the elevator anecdote. It was not the focus of his story by any means. It wasn’t in the headline AP put on it. It wasn’t presented as any kind of revelation or Alou admission.

But others picked it up and ran with it.

TV shows, radio hosts, etc., raked Alou over the coals. I caught countless references in the media as if the player had finally come forward to change his tune.

So yes: turns out Alou still thinks he would have caught the ball. Hooray for investigatory journalism. (Really, it would have been close, but I give the edge to Alou. It wasn’t like he had no chance.)

But anyways, have you guys heard the one about the Cubs having the best record in baseball? Or peeling off eight straight wins? Yeah, me either.