'Sun-Times' Identifies Cubs Foul Ball Fan

By: Joe Strupp Chicago Sun-Times Editor-in-Chief Michael Cooke defended the newspaper's decision to identify the name and employer of a Chicago Cubs fan who interfered with a Cub player's attempt to catch a foul ball hit into the stands Tuesday night. Some angry fans said the catch could have helped the team win game 6 of the National League Championship Series.

"It is the biggest news story in town and this is Chicago," Cooke told E&P Online. "We talked about it for a little while and came down on the side of publishing it. It was not 100 to 0, but the decision was made and on we go."

Cooke hasn't heard any reader reaction to the story.

The fan drew angry shouts, harsh criticism, and even tossed beer cups after he tried to catch the ball hit to his seat during the eighth inning of the Cubs game against the Florida Marlins. With a 3-0 lead and one out, outfielder Moises Alou could have drawn the team one out closer to victory had he caught the ball. Instead, the Marlins went on to score eight runs in the inning, forcing the series to a deciding Game 7 Wednesday night.

Reaction from nearby fans was so severe that security officials at Wrigley Field escorted the man out of the area to a secure location and allowed him to leave about an hour after the game.

The Sun-Times revealed his name, place of employment and even the fact that he was a University of Notre Dame graduate in a Web-only story that appeared Wednesday morning. Cooke declined to reveal how the Sun-Times discovered the man's identity, but a short story naming the fan and his place of work also appeared Wednesday on The Smoking Gun Web site.

That site said it had called the man at home and found a message saying his phone had been disconnected, which it added was "probably a good idea."

No other newspaper, including the rival Chicago Tribune, had published the name as of Wednesday afternoon, according to an informal check. Tribune editors weren't available for comment Wednesday afternoon.