Oct. 16 | ESPN.com's baseball playoff coverage

As a baseball fanatic who eats, drinks and sleeps the sport, I can't believe the way a Chicago Cubs fan named Steve Bartman was treated after the Game 6 NLCS foul-ball incident.

What are sports coming to? When a young man goes to a game, sees a foul ball coming his way and reaches up for it like other fans around him, why does he get publicly chastised? Bartman, a Notre Dame grad in the business world, is now going through hell.

He did not cost the Cubs a chance of going to the World Series.

Is it really fair? Let's face reality: He didn't make the error that changed the game, Cubs shortstop Alex Gonzalez did. There is no guarantee that Moises Alou would have even caught that ball anyway. The bottom line is, Bartman was using natural instincts and reacting to a foul ball coming his way.

I know from attending many games each year, sitting in the stands, there is nothing more exciting than seeing a foul ball coming your way. His eyes were glued on the ball and he never intended to interfere with Alou, as he said in his statement.

For people to act the way they have is absolutely sick. That is not what sports are all about. That's not what cheering for your local team is about. There is no way that Bartman should have to take the abuse and kind of punishment he is taking. Give me a break.

Let's get off of the kid's back. Let's understand that he did not cost the Cubs a chance of going to the World Series.

Chicago had another chance the next day in Game 7 and didn't get it done. And the Florida Marlins never quit. Give a salute to Florida manager Jack McKeon. All of us in that senior age bracket have to cheer for the 72-year-old skipper. The Marlins certainly responded, and catcher Pudge Rodriguez showed why he is a future Hall of Famer.

Yes, Rodriguez certainly had a couple of tough years. But when you look at his total package, he has been a special player. Now that he's healthy, he earned NLCS MVP honors.