WIL WHEATON dot NET: 1.5

A pox on That Guy. Just kidding. A horrible thing happened to him. No matter what he did, the media had no right to give out personal information like that. You totally hit it dead on.

Oh, by the way......GO SOX!!!

*raises hand*
I want to be a hired goon!
:-)

That was one mighty fine open letter. I'm in complete agreement.

Wil-

You're the man. Very well said.

Cyclometh

Amen, my brother!

Dude, you got a comment from Bruce Baugh. You rawk.

BTW, totally agreed.

I very, very much agree.

You're just living your life, and then, POW, you're in the middle of one of those Southwest Airlines "Wanna Get Away" commercials.

It's going to be a while before That Guy's life gets back to normal. It's not like he willed the bill to come in his general direction.

hln

Wil:

Great and hilarious letter! The part about you scaring your dogs made me laugh out loud, though I am trying to be quiet to not wake the kids. My parents are incredibly loud baseball fans, and it reminded me of when I was younger, walking past my house and hearing them inside, cheering on the game. Embarassed me in front of my friends. Good times.

Well said, Wil. The guy did what fans do, and given the level of playing that went on before that catch, he has nothing to be sorry about. The fans who berate him and the media jackals who fed on their hatred ought to be ashamed of themselves.

Well said. I hope that the content of your letter somehow reaches Thay Guy through the vast internet grapevine. I also hope the media are ashamed of themselves.

Fantastic letter. I agree completely-it is unfair, mean-spirited, disrespectful what media did to That Guy. Same with fans who want to use him as a scapegoat.

well said mr. wheaton!...blind hatred is what causes wars and feuds to go on and on...a little understanding goes a long way towards healing the world.

Allow me to just add on my kudos for a well thought out generous offer of support. I hope That Guy takes it to heart.

Dude! I printed this out to pass round at work. You're getting free advertizing and we're getting awesomes joy out of your open letter to that guy.

No one here at work knew about the Goat. It's the goat's fault, not that guy.

Though I do live in Chicago, I'm not from here; I'm from Nebraska and I do know something about rabid fans. I am shocked, however, at the absolute vitriol being spouted by the local media towards 'that guy' and his actions. He's been called stupid, he's been called ignorant, and he's been called out BY THE MEDIA and the fans.

First, the media is to blame not just for telling us all who he is, but perpetuating and increasing the irrational hatred towards him. Chicago sports talk radio came very close to calling for the formation of a lynch mob.

Second, fans are to blame for having no perspective on what is, after all, just a game. I am not a Cubs fan, but no matter how much you love 'your' team (and I grew up a Husker fan in a family of Husker fans) it's still just a game. Love the game, leave the hatred for a fellow fan out of your life.

"That thing that makes a sports fan wear only paint and a diaper to a ball game when it's 15 degrees outside? It's the same thing that makes a Star Trek fan wear the same unwashed uniform for 5 days in a row at a big ass con."

That cracked me up. Die hard sports fans would be horrified to see themselves compared to Star Trek fans. I'm still laughing about it.

As for That Guy, my local (Atlanta) DJs were talking about him and how ridiculous all this crap is. The DJs were especially critical of the media who are continuing to publish the story and use That Guy's real name. Thankfully, like Wil, my local DJs were able to discuss the situation without giving out That Guy's real name. Isn't there any responsibility attached to journalism anymore?

Yes, I had my heart broken in game 6, cuz' I knew after that, they would lose the series...you know, cuz' they're the freakin Cubs!! But in NO WAY was that fan to blame. Actually, I blame the radio commentator Pat Hughes. "That guy" had earphones on listening to WGN Radio play-by-play. Why didn't he tell them to 'back off--Moises is coming!!' But seriously, it's no one's fault but the professionals that should have held it together. I'm totally depressed, I think I'll go start the car, and just not raise that pesky door.

Yes, I had my heart broken in game 6, cuz' I knew after that, they would lose the series...you know, cuz' they're the freakin Cubs!! But in NO WAY was that fan to blame. Actually, I blame the radio commentator Pat Hughes. "That guy" had earphones on listening to WGN Radio play-by-play. Why didn't he tell them to 'back off--Moises is coming!!' But seriously, it's no one's fault but the professionals that should have held it together. I'm totally depressed, I think I'll go start the car, and just not raise that pesky door.

Yes, I had my heart broken in game 6, cuz' I knew after that, they would lose the series...you know, cuz' they're the freakin Cubs!! But in NO WAY was that fan to blame. Actually, I blame the radio commentator Pat Hughes. "That guy" had earphones on listening to WGN Radio play-by-play. Why didn't he tell them to 'back off--Moises is coming!!' But seriously, it's no one's fault but the professionals that should have held it together. I'm totally depressed, I think I'll go start the car, and just not raise that pesky door.

Sorry for that guys, my computer freaked out!!

I'm normally not a god-type guy, but I truly hope and pray that nothing bad happens to this poor guy because of this media circus. If something does end up happening, I feel that the heartless bastards that published that guy's name and personal info are held liable for their actions. This is one of the most irresponsible acts of journalism I've ever seen. It's like the Chicago news media is dumping kerosene on an already out of control fire. The game was lost on the field (by shaky cubs defense...go figure), not on a foul ball in the stands. I sure hope that guy can forgive himself for his mistake, there's no way he could've known to do different.

I'm normally not a god-type guy, but I truly hope and pray that nothing bad happens to this poor guy because of this media circus. If something does end up happening, I feel that the heartless bastards that published that guy's name and personal info are held liable for their actions. This is one of the most irresponsible acts of journalism I've ever seen. It's like the Chicago news media is dumping kerosene on an already out of control fire. The game was lost on the field (by shaky cubs defense...go figure), not on a foul ball in the stands. I sure hope that guy can forgive himself for his mistake, there's no way he could've known to do different.

Agreed!

Poor That Guy. He loves his Cubs, goes to the game, and the next thing he knows he's the Most Hated Person in Chicago(TM), because he's at the wrong place at the wrong time. I hope folks in Chicago will back off from their collective insanity and let That Guy go back to his life. If not, I think That Guy can find asylum in lots of places around this country.

"I used to be on this big cult TV show that had lots of very passionate fans. Many of those fans absolutely (and irrationally) hated the character I played on that show."

::confused:: William Shatner wrote this?

Well said Wil. It's just a game, last time I looked anyway. People don't get it. We still have American soldiers dying everyday in Iraq. Get a grip on reality.

Go Wil! Great letter!

Wil, that letter was farkin' awesome. Thank you for writing it. It reminds me of the Red Sox '86 Bil Buckner error - everybody blames Buckner for losing the game, but if I remember, it was the lame-ass relief pitcher that had already allowed the tying run, so even if Buckner did make the play, the Sox wouldn't have won anyway. Lyons, was the pitcher's name I believe. Anyway, Wil, you rock and keep up the good work!

Barry Ingram

What gets me is that if you watch the tape- everyone around That Guy was reaching for the ball too. It could have been anyone. And the dude sitting beside him stated that they could not see the outfielder running at them until the very end when they just saw his glove pop up. That Guy did not lose the game for the Cubs, the CUBS did.

While at first I was disgusted at That Guy, now my disgust is directed at the media (where it normally rests) and all of the assholes who think that sports is so damn important that it is worth harrassing and threatening a person's life. These are the same idiots who threatened Kobe's accuser. Get a clue!!!

Thanks, Wil, for the opportunity to speak my mind about this!

Wil - I am so glad that someone else is sticking up for That Guy. What the media and other rabid fans is doing to him is totally uncalled for. If they want to blame someone, then they should blame the players. They didn't get it together. And why not be happy that the Cubs got as far as they did? That in and of itself is a great thing. Hang in there That Guy. And don't stop coaching your Little League Team!

Well said! I couldn't agree more!

At first I was mad about this guy messing up that play and ultimatly the game. The announcers of the game helped that along just fine. Although they did point out that just about everyone else within 50 feet of where the ball came down at had people trying to catch it.

I then realized that "That Guy" had no idea that Alou was anywhere near catching it himself. When you are at a game, you are glued to the batter trying to see if the pitch was a ball or strike. When it's hit and it's heading your way, your fixed on the ball for a couple of reasons. One, you want to catch it if you can, and two, you need to protect yourself if you are sitting in range of a foul ball or fair ball being hit into the stands. A baseball can hurt if it hits you.

All "That Guy" was doing was what every baseball fan everywhere does when a ball is headed his way.

What really makes me sick is that I would put odds that he is going to lose his job over this. Not to mention his life will be all but destroyed. All thanks to the wonderful news media, yet again. Those happy-go-lucky people who report news for one reason and one reason only, RATINGS! What a bunch of slimeballs!

"That Guy" is going to be the most hated resident of Chicago since Mrs Oleary's cow. At least for the short term.
Not because he deserves the blame but because Cub fans have a need to blame someone for their disapointment. It's easier to blame him because somewhere deep down they can dream "If Only".
If "That Guy" has a sense of humor ,once this all dies down he should hang three pictures in his office. One of the Hindenburg , One of the Titanic , and one of him trying to catch that foul ball.
It'll be an instant conversation starter.

Wil,

*bravo* *applause* I really hope that this poor soul eventually gets beyond this. How frightening to think that one dream moment (because what fan doesn't dream of catching a ball?) in this poor fan's day has changed his life forever. And I heard he didn't even get to keep the lousy ball! I hope this letter makes it to him, and that it brings him some measure of happiness. Thanks for posting what so many of us are feeling Wil

Wil,

I'm not a baseball fan; I didn't see the game.

I have been to games before and yes, EVERYONE tries to catch a foul coming their way.

We need to start a "That Guy" fan club and get some media attention for it.

God I hate the media.

Assholes! What do they teach these people in journalism classes anyway? Obviously they aren't learning ethics.

--Jessie--

Bastard, Wheaton. There goes my open letter to that guy.

Just make sure he knows that by "Los Angeles" you mean "Old Town Pasedena" and by "best bars in the city" you mean "Lucky Baldwins" and that you're at least not misleading on the second part!

Heh.

AMEN Wil! People in Chicago need to think about what they are doing to this poor guy. He is more devistated than the team is, I assure you.

Thanks for saying what the rest of us were thinking! Ethics seems to be a foreign language to these journalists. The man didn't commit a crime...he did what most of America dreams about!

Go Yankees! We need someone that can beat those dastardley Marlins! How dare they play with hearts like Lions?! How dare they take away what is rightfully the Cubs!?

cmon, the story is not about "that guy". the story is not about the Cubs losing...the story is about the Phenomenal comeback that the Marlins staged!

GO YANKEES!

Go Yankees! We need someone that can beat those dastardley Marlins! How dare they play with hearts like Lions?! How dare they take away what is rightfully the Cubs!?

cmon, the story is not about "that guy". the story is not about the Cubs losing...the story is about the Phenomenal comeback that the Marlins staged!

GO YANKEES!

I'm waaaaaay over here in Japan, and the news is just as big here. Just to add a bit of international perspective, a random sampling of Japanese baseball fans revealed no hate or bombast, just pity for poor That Guy.

All of us here in chicago agreed That Guy deserves a little heckling and maybe a smack upside the head...from his friends. The publishing of his name in the Sun Times just about made us all sick.

Oh, and the Cubs lost because they presumed Sunday's game to be no big deal, and I think they wanted to win it in Chicago. After that, it was all downhill. That, and the insane desire to make every hit a home run. *sigh*

Wait
Until
Next
Year

Well said, That shit is sooo farked up.

1. The crack about your wife and the batboy made me laugh - hard.

2. Can we PLEASE start to do away with "high-fives"?

When the Pretender in Chief starts to get into the act, it's time to do something else.

I would much rather see a firm handshake that starts somewhere behind the plane of your shoulder and ends in a slap and a good grip instead of jumping in the air and trying to slap someone else's hand and winding up hitting them on the head and then falling and spraining your ankle.

Of course that didn't happen to me.

But let's try, okay?

Loved the bit about the bat boy - you're funny! Well said though - when I was a kid, I spent two years waiting for the Tigers to send a foul ball into the upper deck first base line, and it never seemed to happen, at least not while I was there. (of course, that was in the days when the Tigers actually hit the ball every now and then)

I am just wondering at what point in time it stopped being just a game. I mean win or lose it's still entertainment on some level. Whether your waiting for "next year" or whether your team won. It's all in the thrill of the moment. The outcome is secondary to the enjoyment of the game.

I heart Wil!
I heart the Cubbies!
I heart "That Guy"!

Bah. If you ask me, the Cubs player (AKA "That Other Guy") was going to miss the catch anyhow. That Guy isn't to blame for anything.

AAAAAAAAAMEN!

That was the coolest. gesture. ever.

Nicely done, Wil - I really think you should submit your letter to the Editor of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Heh. Wil said "big ass con".

I think that if I ever find myself organizing a sci-fi convention, I will name it the Big Ass Con. In memoriam.

yay! you've staved off the apocalypse for yet another period! good work, and thank you.

amen. that poor bastard.

go sox!!!

I know a guy who knows That Guy, but to be honest I don't know how he's taking the whole issue. I know people are worried about him. I hope he chances to read this letter, Wil, because it's good stuff. You make an awful lot of sense.

Good stuff.

That guy's got it real rough... I would tend to disagree that any fan would reach for that foul ball... most fans paying attention to the game probably would have noticed big ol' Alou comin straight at em at high speed. So it was a pretty big brain fart on "That Guy"s behalf. Having said that, the rest of the shitty play of the Cubs is totally not his fault. The ball that Gonzalez dropped could easily have been a double play ball, end of inning. World series here we come.

Ahh well, next year. Hopefully the Yankees lose to the Sox, so we can try and get ONE curse lifted, at least.

Bravo, Wil. The guy remained in the stands, and went for the foul ball quite legally -- it was just a horrible stroke of luck that he bobbled it out of the player's hands. It sucks, but it happens.

Besides, Dusty said that he expected the Cubs to make it to the Series next year, not this year. And why is everyone ignoring the fact that they actually made it to the NL pennant playoffs? Damn, that is SO much better than what they've done since the eighties -- we should be happy that the Cubs are finally showing signs of being a championship team.

So, we'll all chime in and say, "Next year." But this time, we actually mean it.

Wil & friends:

I...I'm still heartbroken. As much as I would like to believe that karmic disruption and not the vagaries of playing the modern game of baseball were responsible for making it 9N+1 years, I can't fault the gentlemen either. Although, after what happened to that kid with the Yankees a few years back...
I must agree with Wil, and add an observation: Perhaps upset, Cubs fans are also some of the friendliest people in the world. They will forgive, but having come so close, it may take some time.

I'm not a baseball fan. I wasn't paying any attention until NPR broadcast a story about 'That Guy' in game 6. (Okay it was only mentioned in passing) And fine, I knew about your website from techTV but hadn't been here yet. And so during lunch a random websurf happened to bring me here, and I read your letter. I think that's cool. But Wil, how dare you not let me resize this comments window!!!!!! I didn't buy this huge monitor to look at puny windows!!!! C'mon man!!!!!

Ok, that's it. =) Peas.

Fans are always bitching when they lose games.
They blame the players, the coach, the owner.
They never blame themselves.

Now their loss it truely their fault. The Fans lost the game and the series and they should take responsibility.

the kid a couple of years ago helped the home team. no one was gonna drive up from baltimore to slap him...besides...in that series, just like this one, there was more blame to go around than just a ball-happy fan.

the kid a couple of years ago helped the home team. no one was gonna drive up from baltimore to slap him...besides...in that series, just like this one, there was more blame to go around than just a ball-happy fan.

Is the "big ass con" anything like the "Bi-Mon-Sci-Fi-Con!" of Simpsons fame? :-P

you might already know this, wil, but you rock.

ditto to everyone here for pointing out that they
would have lost anyhow.

*sigh*

next year...

Thank you SOOO much for writing that. It makes me so angry how people can turn into Lord of the Flies over such an insignificant thing (in the general scheme of things) This poor man did what anyone would do when a projectile comes at them.
Thank you for showing compassion.

Thank you SOOO much for writing that. It makes me so angry how people can turn into Lord of the Flies over such an insignificant thing (in the general scheme of things) This poor man did what anyone would do when a projectile comes at them.
Thank you for showing compassion.

Good for you! I LOVE what you wrote and it's so true. I think it's horrible how the media (my husband says a radio station disclosed That Guy's personal info) just gave up That Guy's private information. How dare they!

And boo to those blaming That Guy for the Cubs choking. I was rooting for them too (even though I'm an A's fan) and it's terrible that they're blaming a fan instead of the team that lost.

Alas.

Next year! We'll all be in it next year!

Go A's! :D

Um- Did THAT GUY even get the ball? Or did some other fan get it?

More proof that Wil is a class act.

Wil
The letter is great and I hope "That Guy" gets to read it.
It is a sad day when we blame 1 fan for catching 1 foul ball for a team losing a game.

While I agree with your sentiment, I don't think it's very realistic to be able to keep his name out of the media, especially with the internet where it's at. I mean, everybody saw his face. We was wearing the t-shirt of the team he plays for, so all of the people in that league probably knew who he was. He works in a 1,000+ person office. Over half of the city of Chicago was watching the game. Just how do you exactly figure this wasn't going to become public information?

I feel for that poor fan. The drunken Cubs fans (and you know who you are) are going to blame him for this loss until next season, if not forever. On another note, I am pretty disapointed in The Smoking Gun spilling the beans on this guy's life. I love that web site, but I thought it was pretty irresponsible.

I will always be a life-long fan of Chicago sports because it is the city I was born into. My beautiful city has gone through a drought of disappointing moments.But, also great triumphs.I seen so many talented baseball players that came to Chicago:Ryan
Sanberg,Frank Thomas, Sammy Sosa, Mark "Gracie" Grace,Ozzie Guillen, Kenny Lofton,and of recent Estaban Loiza,Mark Pryor,Kerry Wood,Magglio Ordonez,and yes maybe Paul Konerko. I include the South Side players because I have been a life-long suffering Sox fan, we were this "close" from going to the playoffs.It may not be the same as The Cubs losing their chance to advance to the World Series. But, it f-----'hurts like hell. Wait til next year? I hate that phrase. It should be wiped out from our vocabulary. I really really thought the Cubbies were going all the way. My alligence stays with the White Sox but, my heart breaks for the Cubbies.

As for the fan from Game 6, it is going to blow over. Chicago does forgive.

Ron Santo said that if he never gets into the Hall of Fame, that's fine. But, when they retired his number in Wrigley Field. Then he could die a happy man. I know Santo wanted his Cubbies to go to the World Series. I guess he has to (not that phrase).I just leave it at that.

A long-suffering fan who knows all to well,

Lily Jones
Life-long White Sox fan,
Chicago, Illnois

Thanks for the comments. What That Guy is going through is just wrong. It's not like he interfered with a fair ball. It was into the stands, he, (and everyone around him) thought that he had a NLCS souvenier.)

To blame the actions of one fan for a three game meltdown is not only wrong, but myoptic.

Hi, my name is Dave, and I've almost been That Guy.

It was only a local league game, not the world series race, but it was for the local league championship. The stands were packed, the SRO spots were full, and all the local media outlets were there. You see, I used to live in a small town, where local league baseball was like the fucking NBA.

The home team was up by one and pitching in the bottom of the ninth, two outs. The visitors had two on (2nd and 3rd) and their biggest slugger at bat. He swung mightily at the first two pitches and fouled them back. His third swing connected, and sent the ball sailing high, and right towards me on the right field line. I put on my glove, started reaching for the ball as it came down, and jumped back.

Why? Because out of the corner of my eye I saw our right fielder running at me full speed, leaping for the ball.

I pulled back, he caught it, we won.

I'm not saying that what That Guy did was wrong, but if he'd had even a sliver of vision anywhere but on that ball, game 6 might have turned out very differently. He did what every baseball fan wants to do, but what he should have done is pay a little more attention. It's not his fault the Cubs lost, but he certianly didn't help.

The media fucked up bigtime by making him the scapegoat, and for that they collectively deserve to be fucked with a piledriver and 16 feet of curare tipped wrought iron fence and no lubricants.

This has been $0.0125 from an observer's point of view.

Hi, my name is Dave, and I've almost been That Guy.

It was only a local league game, not the world series race, but it was for the local league championship. The stands were packed, the SRO spots were full, and all the local media outlets were there. You see, I used to live in a small town, where local league baseball was like the fucking NBA.

The home team was up by one and pitching in the bottom of the ninth, two outs. The visitors had two on (2nd and 3rd) and their biggest slugger at bat. He swung mightily at the first two pitches and fouled them back. His third swing connected, and sent the ball sailing high, and right towards me on the right field line. I put on my glove, started reaching for the ball as it came down, and jumped back.

Why? Because out of the corner of my eye I saw our right fielder running at me full speed, leaping for the ball.

I pulled back, he caught it, we won.

I'm not saying that what That Guy did was wrong, but if he'd had even a sliver of vision anywhere but on that ball, game 6 might have turned out very differently. He did what every baseball fan wants to do, but what he should have done is pay a little more attention. It's not his fault the Cubs lost, but he certianly didn't help.

The media fucked up bigtime by making him the scapegoat, and for that they collectively deserve to be fucked with a piledriver and 16 feet of curare tipped wrought iron fence and no lubricants.

This has been $0.0125 from an observer's point of view.

Well said Wil,

I have to admit I missed the game, but I heard all about it even up here in Canada!

"That poor guy", I like that Jeb Bush offered to put him up in florida for 3 months... That was cute, but doesnt really help what the media is doing to him... I can see the fans reacting if that had of been the series winning catch... sure, string him up then! But it was not... and the marlins went on to win that game and the next... The Cubs didn't lose because of a fan... the Marlins won because they were lucky! REMEMBER, it is just a game!

Oh and I loved your character on "That Show"... Hell I even liked Toy Soldiers... (insert butt kissing sound here) Sign me up for goon duties if that guy ever takes you up on your offer!

Yeah. I knew the Cubs would lose the series when I saw that play. Not because of the curse, not because that fan cost them the game (which we all know he didn't) but because the Cubs are the best in baseball in at least one category... choking. They have done it for years. This year they just postponed their meltdown until post season play. I love the Cubbies for that.

Signed, a Cardinals fan

P.S., so much for the great fans at the Friendly Confines of Wrigley.

Where can we apply to be a hired goon. I promiss, if you hire me, i wont be a disgruntled goon, and beat the crap out of the dude for fucken up the game for all of the cub fans. And costing us the world series.

I might just shove him out of a moving car (pure accident of course).

I love the end where you say, "When they look confused and say, 'Who the hell is Wil Wheaton?' you can just smile and laugh at them, because you know something they don't."

Very funny! :)

-m

Well said, Wil. That Guy didn't do anything that any one of us wouldn't do if we were there that game.

Not that I'd be there at that game. I freakin' hate baseball. :P

(Very good blog entry, by the way)

(oh, and YAY Comments!)

Funny, I seem to recall a similar thing happening in the 1996 Playoffs, and the reaction was "It's all part of the game". Here's the link:
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/story/75709p-69921c.html

I hope That Guy gets to read your letter, Wil. Actually, he probably NEEDS to read it. Well done, Wil.

annie

Lifelong Cubs fan living in Milwaukee here. I feel bad for That Guy, I really do. That said, the image of him reaching out and deflecting that ball from Alou's glove is permanently burned into my retinas, much like the ground ball that skittered under Leon Durham's glove way back when, and Steve Garvey's back-breaking home run. That Guy is definitely not responsible for the Cubs' meltdown in Game 6. But the image pretty much sums up everything that went wrong in the game. It was just an incredibly unlikely and oddball thing that happened, as were Alex's error and Prior's sudden loss of composure. You can't hate That Guy. About all you can do is shrug and say, "Wow. Who could have seen that coming?"

Laura

Forgive my lack of eloquence.
Wil,
You really are "The Man" .It sucks when bad things happen to genuinly good people. Ive been reading your website for a long time now and this may be the single best post you've done. It's kinda wierd how you seem to popup in my liesure/entertainment life. I was born in '70 so were not far off in age(I always wanted a brother). Stand by me was one of the defining movies of my adolecent years, Star Trek has always been a staple and something my wife also got hooked on. It has always painted a pretty optimistic view of the future. I'm a huge gamer so when G4 went on the air, I was there. PooF....so are you. somewher along the line I found WWDN and then you found yourself on my fav puter show, The Screen Savers. WIERD.
But Cool
Chad

Well done, Wil. I agree with Tracy that you should send it to the editors of the Chicago newspapers to give everyone in that city a jolt of reality.

Fabulous post, thanks for writing it.

wow. please send this into the Newspaper. he'd be sure to find it then.

Very nice Wil. Thank you for posting.

Hot wife?? That is a matter of opinion

The writing style of this piece is very funny. It actually reminds me a lot of that guy who runs Real Ultimate Power (http://www.realultimatepower.net) and The Best Page in the Universe (http://maddox.xmission.com/).

I always liked that style.

Any of us, in the same position would more then likely done the same thing.

Wil,

I don't know who I feel more sorry for. That Guy or the dry cleaner that had to eventually wash that dirty star trek uniform. Hopefully, That Guy will one day get his own talk show someday. If he's brave enough, maybe Leno or Letterman can include him in a segment.

I yelled GO CUBS!!.. and they went.. :*(

Eric B

Right on, Wheaton. Well said.

And Wil, don't sweat it bro, you were one of my favs. You are partially to thank for my being an engineering student today!!

Who needs to be a cultural icon when you got a hot wife anyway?! :-)

Thanks, Wil.

Derm

Well written, Wil.

Those guys who hated you from the teevee were just jealous because their girlfriends all had crushes on you but wouldn't give them any play.

The guys who hate That Guy are just pissed because their team choked at a pivotal moment in the NLCS and they want a scapegoat to blame.

Both totally irrational, emotional reactions that fade with time.

First let me say that I in no way condone any acts of violence against "that guy" or against anyone else stemming from an occurence at a sporting event. Nevertheless, here it goes. I have two foul balls from MLB games. Didn't catch either. Baseballs are scary. Baseballs hit by MLB players are REALLY scary. Most people's first instinct is to turn away and cover. One must TRY to catch one. If "that guy" had been PAYING ATTENTION and THINKING, as a Cubs fan he would not have TRIED to catch it. He didn't catch it because it's almost impossible to barehand catch with one hand a fly ball hit by a big leaguer. It's also a great way to break a finger. My moral is twofold. First, please use your head at MLB games! Second, if you want a foul ball so bad, let it bounce and scramble for it, it's worked for me.

I've met Wil's wife. She *is* hot. So there.

I posted something similar, but not quite so elegant, on my blog at www.bmonday.com

http://www.bmonday.com/200310archive001.asp#1066267736001

I ran some sims to see what would have happened had Alou made the catch. The Cubs still lose.

However, if you take away the big-ass error by Gonzalez, the Cubs go into the 9th with a 1-run lead and likely win the game.

Yet, the fans, and the media, choose to blame the fan, instead of the player who is paid $5M a year to catch routine grounders hit right to him.

The fan at least had the gonads to stand up and apologize for what part he had in the loss. Where is Alex Gonzalez' apology?

Well, enough people have mentioned it here, and even more have e-mailed about it . . .

So how do I go about getting this letter to some newspapers?

I think I'll e-mail it to the ESPN Radio guys (heart them, man. they've made the 90 hours a year I waste in traffic feel like 88 hours), but other than that, I don't know how to do it.

Good job wil! I completely support you!

-Zack Shutt

Is there a Chicago paper to which
you could send your wonderful letter?
It would be great if it could be
printed in a paper in That Guy's
home area and reach the hometown
fans who are prolly giving him the
worst of it.

Hey I'm in Australia and even **I** heard about "That Guy"!!
Wil, I looked at the Chicago Sun-Times website and there doesn't seem to be any address shown there that you can send your letter to. Any readers living in Chicago who can help Wil out with a snail-mail or email address??

Great open letter. There's nothing like a scapegoat for (the majority of) the media to sink their teeth into. Way to champion the "that guy" Wil.

You know what, everything happens in this universe for some reason. Let's just say, hypothetically of course, that That Guy hadn't done what ANYONE would have done, and reached out for the foul ball. Who's to say that the team wouldn't have won, and then in the frenzy that became the whole of Chicago, a pregnant woman would have been knowcked down in the crowd and mis-carried the child who was to be the man who cured cancer. C'mon guys...is a pennant really worth the cure for the worst medical enemy of man? You have to look at it all in perspective. Who knows how many chain of events were set off, or avoided by That Guy. Give him a break, man, he's a fan. Nothing more, nothing less.

Baseball Primer has an analysis (using WPA) of the effect of That Guy (3.1%)

http://www.baseballprimer.com/studies/archives/00000163.shtml

Wil,

The fan's name is Steve Bartman. Head over and type that name into Google News, and you'll get about 30 million hits, but the Sun-Times broke it. (Personally, I think Bartman gave them the info.)

He works for:

Hewitt Associates
100 Half Day Road
Lincolnshire, IL 60069-3342
(847) 295-5000
(847) 295-7634 fax

Of course, that's about the only address for him that has been given out, so I imagine a postal letter that might be sent to him there might get caught in a deluge.

You might want to call and push the fame button a bit to get through to him or to make sure your letter doesn't get rejected. :)

Mike

Ask and ye shall receive. It also helps to live in a library.

Anyone wanna send a letter to the editor to a Chicago paper? Here ya go! Good luck!

Chicago Sun-Times
--------------------
http://www.suntimes.com/geninfo/feedback.html
(need to select "Letter to Editor" in recipient window)

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
401 N. Wabash, Chicago, Illinois 60611
312-321-3000

Chicago Tribune
------------------
Contact the newspaper's public editor, Don Wycliff, by e-mailing him at publiceditor@tribune.com or sending regular mail to 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago IL 60611

Well said, Wil. When I heard That Guy went into hiding, I felt even worse for him and his family. He doesn't deserve to be treated that way. No one does.

Clara

Maybe someday I can forgive him. But not yet.

Just a few games ago I was bitching at a guy (well, at the TV, but you get my point) sitting close to home plate who didn't get out of the catcher's way on a foul pop. Guy struck out on the next play, but the point stands: If you're sitting in the front row you have to know to get out of the way if there's a play on the ball! It's one of the few ways you can actually have a direct impact on the game.

Will,
I have to give you credit, it takes a lot to hang it all out there, dare to human, and really spek your mind, especially in an open letter like this.
I dig the fact that you take responsibility for your site, for building it yourself.

As for "That Guy," well, had I been where he was I would have done the same thing, and there isn't a sports fan breathing who could tell me "Man, I wouldn't have done it if I were there" and actually expect me to believe it. Living just east of Green Bay, I know how obsessive sports fans can and do get, and I know that if anyone of the got the chance to get their hands on game ball, you better believe they' be going after it.
Anyway, thanks once again. If you ever do run into "That Guy," and you do get to going out for a few brews, try not to let the goons have too mcuh fun...

J

Outsanding Wil, nicely done.

Good onya Clara! Hey Wil, I'm assuming you'll clean up the language a bit before you send the letter! :o) Although the swearing makes it funnier.... e.g. "back the f**k off" is a lot funnier than "back off" ;o)

did anybody notice that a hotel in florida offered that guy 3 months free plus free airfare, steaks and martinis?

check it out on fark...

I just posted an audio version of this letter in the audioblog. Link's under my smilin' mug on the main page :)

The interaction with lack of physical presence provided by the internet has desensitized people to the extreme that they usually don't realize there's another human being at the other side of the pipe. It's usually all to easy to crap on other people and mock them.

It's great to see that you're doing otherwise, Wil. I've long thought yours is one of the more "human" (and "humane") voices of the 'net. Thanks for taking the time to make this point.

As for "that guy" well, hopefully he's ok. This will die down eventually. People will find something else to get pissed about.

Great letter, Wil. As a transplanted Cub fan of many years, I wasn't outraged at That Guy or even Alex Gonzalez. I was angered by Dusty Baker's inability to have anyone warming up in the bullpen in the eighth innning of the _game that could send the Cubs to the World Series_!!!

Sorry for the gratuitous exclamation marks.

Anyway, I wish the Fish well; they certainly played hard and smart. If you are up in San Francisco when the Cubs are in town, I'll buy you some overpriced garlic fries and we can root for the Boys In Blue together (Okay, a guy can dream, can't he?)

That's great...You have a lot of compassion and understanding, which is rare in this day and age. You also seem to have a fair sense of when it's wrong to place the blame elsewhere. I hope "that guy" reads this!"

Word. Wordy McWord.

His email address is floating around on Livejournal. If you want, I can send it to you. I will do "That Guy" a favor and not post it here. ;D

Well, I've spammed ESPN, the Sun-Times and Salon. We'll see if anyone prints it . . . wouldn't that be cool?!

Wil, you said it. And others here have added to it. That Guy is a scapegoat for the Cubbies losing the series.

So, when are we going to take this guy out for those beers?!?!?!

Wil Wheaton says back the f**k off, and if Wil says to back the f**k off, you back the f**k off because you never know when there might be a Monkey nearby...

*Evil grin*