Chicago sports fans can be excused for experiencing a little bit of déjà vu Wednesday when Chicago White Sox left fielder Melky Cabrera ventured down the left-field line for a foul ball against the New York Mets. A fan reached over the railing at Citi Field, preventing Cabrera from catching James Loney's pop-up.
Yes, it was the Steve Bartman play all over again, just involving the other Windy City team. However, unlike in 2003, this was a lower-stakes midseason game, not the National League Championship Series, and more importantly, the batter was called out for fan interference after a lengthy replay review.
Melky Cabrera looks like he might get a fan interference call in his replay, upon review
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) June 1, 2016
Looks like a Bartman Ball redux on Melky there. Fan reached over and interfered with his ability to catch that ball. #Mets
— Michael Baron (@michaelgbaron) June 1, 2016
While much of the reaction to the play on social media was how much it resembled the Bartman incident, some of the responses brought about another question about one of the game's most iconic yet infamous moments.
If only there had been replay for #Bartman #WhiteSox #Mets
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) June 1, 2016