What if the Indianapolis Colts Drafted Ryan Leaf?

The NFL Draft of 1998 was highlighted by the impending careers of two top-flight college quarterbacks destined to be taken #1 and #2 respectively. The hard part was deciding which one of these high flying gunslingers the Indianapolis Colts would take with the #1 overall pick. At the time, it seemed like a win-win situation regardless of who they selected. Both quarterbacks were slated to have long and successful careers and be foundation stones which to build competitive teams.

The first option was Peyton Manning, the gunslinger out of the University of Tennessee. The 1997 SEC Player of the Year finished 2nd in Heisman Trophy voting.

The second was Ryan Leaf, the versatile weapon from Washington State. Leaf wowed scouts by leading the NCAA in passing yards and finishing 3rd for the Heisman Trophy.


The Colts selected Peyton Manning. What happened over the next 18 years proved that fateful decision in the 1998 draft to be arguably the largest disparity between first and second overall picks. Peyton had a monolithic career attaining 14 Pro Bowl selections, 5 Most Valuable Player awards, and making 15 playoff berths, 4 AFC titles, and 2 Super Bowl rings.

Ryan Leaf... well...




It's easy to be an armchair quarterback and slam Leaf as possibly the biggest bust in the history of the NFL draft. But his numbers during his years at Washington State can't be argued as he was one of the most prolific college quarterbacks of the 90's. And between the NFL Combine and the Draft, the Colts not only hadn't made their decision, some say that GM Bill Polian and coach Jim Mora were leaning towards drafting Ryan Leaf .

How much would the fates of the Colts and the Chargers had been changed if that had been the case? How different would the landscape of the NFL look if Peyton dropped to #2 overall?


What if the Indianapolis Colts drafted Ryan Leaf?


Despite the change of scenery, it's pressing to believe the numbers wouldn't see much of a difference. Peyton had the talent level and the focus to win anywhere, just like Leaf had the ego and the destructive mentality to lose anywhere.

Career Totals	W/L	Yards	TD's	INT	Comp. %	QB Rating
Peyton Manning	186-79	71,940	539	250	65.3%	96.5
Ryan Leaf	4-17	3,666	14	36	48.4%	50.0

Avg. per Game	Yards	TD's	INT	Sacked
Peyton Manning	271	2.05	0.94	1.13
Ryan Leaf	174	0.67	1.71	3.09

Avg. per Season (16G)	Yards	TD's	INT	Sacked
Peyton Manning	4,343	32.54	15.30	18.29
Ryan Leaf	2,793	10.66	27.40	49.52

There is no comparison, save for the fact that it would be the Colts franchise that was torpedoed by Leaf instead of San Diego. Jim Mora was fired in 2000, and it's likely Leaf would be released in the same breath.

The Colts drafting Leaf would have meant the San Diego Chargers would draft Peyton Manning. The indelible image of Peyton pointing out defenders, changing the play at the line, shouting "Omaha!" would have been done without the trademark horseshoe, but rather the parabolic bolt on his helmet.


Where the Colts enjoyed prolonged success with Peyton Manning, it's easy to assume the Chargers would reach the same level of dominance in the AFC West. Playing with the Colts (and Broncos), Peyton had a 39-11 record (.780 winning %) vs. the AFC West. The San Diego Chargers would be the toast of the AFC West for a long time.

Following a similar parallel with Peyton's postseason statistics and winnings paired with head-to-head statistics against any given team, it's reasonable to think the Chargers would make the playoffs every year of Peyton's playing career (except for his rookie season). His first playoff victory would come in the 2001 playoffs against the New York Jets. That would mean it would be the Chargers playing the Patriots in the Snow Bowl, and it would be the Chargers who would be vilified by the frustrating Tuck Rule.

The San Diego Chargers would win their first AFC title with Peyton in 2002. The Oakland Raiders, led by Rich Gannon, were the winners of the AFC West during those years and went largely unchallenged. With an upcoming superstar ready to blossom, the Chargers would knock the Raiders off the throne and roll through the playoffs... The result, however, would be the same as Jon Gruden's Buccaneers possessed a steamrolling defense not even Peyton in his youth could overcome.

Much like in history, Peyton would win his first Super Bowl and give the Chargers a championship in February of 2007 when he would go on to thrash the Chicago Bears. Unlike history, however, they would win another in the 2008 season. The Pittsburgh Steelers had a soft road to winning the Super Bowl, facing underwhelming teams such as the 8-8 San Diego Chargers, an overhyped Baltimore Ravens team, and winning it all against the over-the-top middling Arizona Cardinals. Had they faced a super loaded Charger team with Peyton Manning under center, the Steelers would have been eliminated. And Peyton would go on to defeat the Cardinals and claim the second title of his career for the San Diego Chargers.

Without Peyton Manning in Indy, the AFC South throne would have been up for grabs. That honor would fall, at least in the short run, to the Tennessee Titans. Steve McNair was the foil to Peyton Manning's Colts. Without a counterpart, McNair operates as the best quarterback in the AFC South. The Titans wouldn't dominate as the Colts had, but a series of 10-6 and 11-5 years would see them as division champions most years. However, it's unlikely their regular season success would translate into any further playoff success beyond their AFC title in 2000.


Beyond the reversal of standings, the biggest reaction to Ryan Leaf being drafted #1 would be the butterfly effect it would have on future marquee players and the teams they play for. Much of Peyton Manning's success had to be shared with the team that Bill Polian and Tony Dungy built around him in subsequent drafts. Names like Edgerrin James, Dallas Clark, Reggie Wayne, Dwight Freeney, and Bob Sanders were all cornerstones to the domination of the Indianapolis Colts drafted in the following years of Peyton's emergence. The NFL Draft isn't an exact science, and all general managers draft differently. However, given the same draft positions that the Colts were in, there's enough reason to believe they'd follow a similar draft pattern, particularly in drafting Edgerrin James in 1999 to supplant Terrell Fletcher and Dwight Freeney to counter balance Junior Seau.

That would mean the 2001 draft that benefitted the Chargers would belong to the Colts. And given that Ryan Leaf would have already been dropped from the league, the Colts would be left with an obvious choice.

Draft Drew Brees and LaDanian Tomlinson.

The Colts would have missed out one legendary QB by selecting Leaf over Manning, but they'd make up for it by selecting Brees. And LT, the most dominant running back of the 21st century, would also be suiting up in Indy blue.


But the dominoes would continue to fall. And the quagmire known as the Eli Manning-Philip Rivers Paradox would take on a whole new shade of grey.

In 2004, the San Diego Chargers owned the #1 overall pick and intended to sign Eli Manning out of Ole Miss. Archie Manning, his father, famously came out and publicly aired his son's grievance about playing for San Diego. According to him, Eli had reservations about playing for a team with a losing history, playing under a brand new head coach, and not being guaranteed a starting spot underneath Drew Brees. What occurred was a draft day that sent Eli Manning to the New York Giants in exchange for quarterback Philip Rivers and a small fortune of draft picks.

If the Colts selected Ryan Leaf back in 98, they would likely find themselves with the top pick in the 2004 draft. And the Colts would have two equally delicate options to take.

Under the first option: The Colts select Eli Manning with the first pick in the draft. The Colts don't have the baggage that scare Eli about San Diego. They have a history of winning and an indelible icon in Johnny Unitas that he would look up to. Tony Dungy would be two years into Indy after building the Tampa Bay team that ended up in the Super Bowl. And Jim Irsay would be concerned about the shoulder of Drew Brees just as Marty Schottenheimer was and put him on the trade block, immediately opening up the starting job for Eli to take over.

Yes, Virginia, there would still be a Manning on the Colts!

But that would leave the New York Giants without their quarterback of the future. They had options with the #4 pick, or they could deal for the suddenly available Drew Brees. So where would Philip Rivers go? How does adding "Rivers" to the infamous quarterback jersey in Cleveland sound? The Browns had the #6 pick and had an aging Jeff Garcia under center without a youthful backup in the future.

Eli in Indy. Brees in New York. Rivers in Cleveland. That's option one.


However, the second option is more likely. The Chargers were thinking top tier quarterback in the 04 draft despite having Drew Brees on their roster. Brees had an injured shoulder and the team was unsure how he would play after surgery. They made the option to draft young and trade Brees to New Orleans.

Jim Irsay may not have been so quick to pull the plug. The Colts likely retain Drew Brees and use the #1 pick as draft bait. The New York Giants may have been in play as they were before, but so would another team: the New Orleans Saints. Since the Colts would hold onto Brees, they would make a play for the Colts' top pick. Given the choice, it would have been pure nostalgia to see another Manning in New Orleans. That's where the #1 pick likely ends up, and with it, the Saints would pick Eli Manning. That would mean the Giants stay put and take Philip Rivers at #4.

Brees in Indy. Rivers in Big Blue. Eli in New Orleans.


That roster shuffle in effect would call into question the last ten Super Bowls. Does Eli Manning still bring the Vince Lombardi trophy to the Big Easy? Does Drew Brees have the fortitude to lead the Colts to AFC South glory? Despite the shuffle, it may be possible Super Bowl 44 still features the Colts and Saints, except featuring Eli Manning and Drew Brees in opposite corners.

But the biggest conundrum that creates is the mettle and fortitude of Philip Rivers. Ever since the draft day debacle, Rivers and Eli have been constantly, if not unfairly, under steep comparison. And Eli consistently had the edge in late game heroics. In Eli's career, he's led 27 fourth quarter comebacks and 33 game winning drives to Rivers' 21 fourth quarter comebacks and 25 game winning drives.


In Super Bowl 42, the New York Giants shocked the world by handing the New England Patriots their only loss of the season. The defense was magnificent, but Eli Manning's performance was instrumental in their victory. Does Philip Rivers have the same clutch instinct on the biggest stage?

Trailing, < 2 Minutes To Go	Comp. %	TD's	INT's	Yards / Attempt	QB Rating
Eli Manning	57%	12	7	7.8	87.1
Philip Rivers	51%	7	9	6.3	62.3
No Huddle	Comp. %	TD's	INT's	Yards / Attempt	QB Rating
Eli Manning	61%	37	28	7.4	85.3
Philip Rivers	66%	18	13	7.5	90.0

Eli outshines Rivers in nearly every category of clutch statistics. Rivers is talented, but it's unlikely he could repeat Eli's Super Bowl heroics. If the Colts drafted Ryan Leaf, the New England Patriots would have pulled off the perfect 19-0 season.

And finally, after Peyton's serious neck injury, he was non tendered and made a free agent. He, of course, chose to finish his career in Denver. So where would he wind up his career in a similar release by San Diego? Though his admiration of John Elway would still be a factor, it's not likely he would stick around in the AFC West to play for a bitter division rival. Thus he would follow his heart back to his home and his alma mater in Tennessee. Peyton would end his illustrious career in a Tennessee Titans jersey.

As a result, the Titans would be a lot more interesting to watch, probably even make a few playoff appearances. But even with Peyton on board they were far from winning a Super Bowl. That would mean the New England Patriots likely step in and win the AFC title in 2015, perhaps even the Super Bowl that year.







In conclusion, if the Colts had selected Ryan Leaf with the #1 pick in the 1998 NFL Draft:

*Peyton Manning would have played for the Chargers

*The Chargers would have won the AFC title in 2002.

*Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning would still exist (the two would square off 6 times in the playoffs alone).

*The team rosters throughout history would be reversed: Ladanian Tomlinson and Drew Brees would be drafted by the Colts. Reggie Wayne and Dwight Freeney would be Chargers

*The Chargers would win 2 Super Bowl titles (2007 vs. the Bears, 2009 vs. the Cardinals)

*Eli Manning would be a Saint.

*Philip Rivers would be a Giant.

*Shockingly, the Super Bowl 44 matchup of New Orleans over Indianapolis remains intact.

*Because of Philip Rivers lack of clutch moments, the New England Patriots would cap off the perfect 19-0 season with a Super Bowl 42 victory.

*Peyton ends his illustrious career playing in front of his biggest fans as a member of the Tennessee Titans.

*With the Titans unprepared to compete for a Super Bowl, the New England Patriots defeat the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50.


It's hard to believe Ryan Leaf was as highly touted as he was considering how brilliantly he self-destructed. The decision to bypass Leaf and draft Peyton Manning is one that Bill Polian and Colts' fans everywhere are relieved they made.

(Sources:
Stats and research: pro-football-reference, NFL official website
Photos: NFL.com, rumorsandrants.com, stampedeblue.com, usatoday.com
Special Contributor: Mark Vincent)

What If Steve Bartman Didn't Interfere?

The Chicago Cubs are one of modern baseball's oldest teams, first coming into the league in 1876 as the Chicago White Stockings. The club evolved into the Cubs in 1903, and promptly won the World Series back to back in 1907 and 1908. It's been 108 years since then, and the Cubs have yet to bring the World Series trophy back to the north side of Chicago, the longest drought in the history of any major league team. They've had opportunities since then. They've reached the playoffs 14 times, most recently in 2015, and made 7 different trips to the World Series, the last time in 1945.

The closest the Cubs have come to reaching the World Series for the first time in 70 years, and giving them their closest opportunity to win in 108 years, was in 2003. They appeared to be the Team of Destiny during 2003, finishing the regular season in 1st place of the NL Central with a record of 88-74. In the first round of the playoffs, the Cubs pushed the talented Atlanta Braves out in a decisive Game 5 performance by staff ace Kerry Wood. They faced the surprising Florida Marlins in the NLCS. The Cubs gave up Game 1, but stormed back to win three in a row. With a chance to seal it on the road, the Cubs couldn't overcome Josh Beckett who dominated Game 5 with a complete game shutout. That pushed the series back to Chicago for Game 6. Despite the last game, many believed the Cubs were poised to win Game 6 and send the Cubs to the World Series. It seemed like they were finally ready to end the suffering of their loyal fans. And for 7 innings in Game 6, it looked like the Cubs were heading for victory.

And then the world was introduced to Steve Bartman.

With the Cubs up 3-0 with 1 out in the top of the 8th inning, Luis Castillo of the Florida Marlins fouled a ball off to left field. Cubs left fielder Moises Alou tracked the ball to the side wall and leaped with just enough oomph to reach into the stands and make the out. But spectator and loyal Cubs fan Steve Bartman did what anyone would have done in that situation: he saw a foul ball coming towards him and wanted to collect his souvenir. Bartman didn't keep his eye on the field, so he didn't see Alou camp underneath it. The fan reached up and knocked the ball away from Alou negating a surefire out. The ball was declared foul, and Luis Castillo was given another opportunity.

What happened after the controversial foul ball was a complete collapse by the Chicago pitching staff and uncommonly simple mistakes by the defense allowing the Marlins to bat around and plant 8 runs on the board during the 8th inning. The Marlins would go on to win Game 6 and then again in Game 7, defeating the Cubs and sending their fans reeling after watching their team get to within five outs of reaching the World Series.

Though it was just one minor flicker in the grand scheme of things, Cubs fans believe that Chicago would have won the decisive sixth game and go on to defeat the New York Yankees in the 2003 World Series to end the nearly century long drought. To Cubs fans, Steve Bartman reaching for a foul ball cost the Cubs the World Series.

What would have happened if that loyal fan had remained in his seat? How would the rest of the game have played out had he noticed Moises Alou reaching for the ball and allowed him to record the second out?

What if Steve Bartman didn't interfere with Moises Alou?

It might seem obvious to baseball fans, but the first question that needs to be asked is simple. Even if the fans gave him the room, would Alou have been able to make the catch? Many who watched the play live and have seen the replays assume it's a given that he makes the catch.  But tracking a ball into foul territory, timing a leap, and reaching into the stands to snag a fast falling baseball is far from a can of corn.

Replays and screen caps seem to show the trajectory would indeed meet the webbing of Alou's glove. The only question would be if Alou held on long enough or if his his glove would hit any obstructions on the way back to the field that would jar the ball loose. Alou had 6 errors in 2003 making for a .971 fielding percentage, so it's not out of the realm of possibility. However best case scenario says yes, Moises Alou likely catches the ball for the second out of the inning if Steve Bartman didn't knock it away.








If not for Steve Bartman's gaffe, the most egregious mistake of the game would have been the questionable call by Dusty Baker to leave Mark Prior in the game as long as he did.

Prior had been a dominating force for the Cubs all year, finishing 3rd in the Cy Young Award voting. He was the heart and soul of the Cubs that year, and his bullpen was not as sharp as the Marlins'. It's not unusual to let a starting pitcher work himself deep into the game. But in a deciding game that would punch a ticket to the World Series, a fresh pitcher trumps a starter working his eighth inning. Mark Prior wasn't pulled until the score was tied at 3. Kyle Farnsworth entered the game inheriting two runners in scoring position, and the rest of the game unraveled from there. However, if Mark Prior was pulled before giving up the tying double to Derrek Lee, then Lee likely would face Cubs closer Joe Borowski for a two inning save.

Mark Prior
+3 Runs of Support	2.62 ERA	1.082 WHIP	5.65 K/BB	1 HR 57 AB	.230 BAV	.660 OPS
8th Inning (2003 season)	5.06 ERA	1.760 WHIP	3.67 K/BB	1 HR-40 AB	.262 BAV	.759 OPS
NLCS (2003)	3.13 ERA	1.326 WHIP	2.25 K/BB	0 HR	.222 BAV	.580 OPS
OPS allowed when...	within 2R	1 Out	2 Outs	RISP	2 on, 1 out	2 on, 2 out
	.660	.698	.651	.702	.911	1.167

Joe Borowski (2003)
In Save Situation	2.48 ERA	1.101 WHIP	1.5 K/BB	.193 BA	3 HR	.547 OPS
NLCS	1.59 ERA	1.412 WHIP	0.3 K/BB	.192 BA	0 HR	.530 OPS
OPS allowed when...	Within 2R	1 Out	2 Outs	2 on, 1 out	2 on, 2 out	RISP
	.547	.629	.413	.000	.311	.406

With the comparable stats, it's easy to second guess Dusty Baker's decision to stick with Prior. Had Borowski entered the game one batter earlier, the chances of getting out of the inning with the lead intact goes up substantially.

But the question isn't "What if Mark Prior was pulled early?" If Prior wasn't pulled with one out and two on, he certainly wouldn't be pulled if Alou collected the second out with one man on.


Apart from Bartman's interference and Prior remaining in the game, the biggest momentum killer of the inning was committed by Chicago shortstop Alex Gonzalez.

	Assists	Put Outs	Errors	Double Plays	Fielding %
Alex Gonzalez	422	193	10	95	.984

Gonzalez's numbers defensively were between above average and excellent. The error was an anomaly for someone usually defensively sound. It appears Gonzalez was trying to start a double play but started the transfer from glove to throwing hand too early resulting in a bobble, an error, and another blown out. Had Moises Alou made the catch, the second out of the inning would have been recorded, and Gonzalez wouldn't have had to rush the throw in order to turn two.

There's no guarantee that Alex Gonzalez would have fielded it cleanly as Cabrera hit a hard chopper to short. The old adage says to never assume the double play, and for this purpose, an out itself can never be assumed in the first place. While it's debatable whether Gonzalez would have fielded Cabrera's hit cleanly or not, it's better to err on the side of history and say he would have bobbled it at any rate, with or without Bartman's interference two batters before.


As stated before, it's widely believed that without Steve Bartman, the Cubs would have won Game 6. In fact, entering the 8th inning, the Cubs had a 92% chance of winning the game and the NLCS. But even had he not interfered, even if Alou had made the second out, the Marlins still would have had 4 outs to go. The Marlins had the heart of the lineup coming up.

MARLINS vs. CUBS PITCHERS

	2003 NLCS	vs. Mark Prior	vs. Kyle Farnsworth	vs. Joe Borowski
Derrek Lee	.188 BA, .344 SLG 8 SO, 1 HR, 4 RBI	11 PA, .273 BA .909 OPS, 1 HR, 3 RBI	20 PA, .350 BA .900 OPS, 1 HR, 3 RBI	7 PA, .333 BA .929 OPS
Mike Lowell	.200 BA, .500 SLG 4 SO, 2 HR, 3 RBI	10 PA, .200 BA .400 OPS, 4 SO	25 PA, .292 BA .612 OPS, 3 RBI, 6 SO	10 PA, .222 BA .522 OPS
Jeff Conine	.458 BA, .708 SLG 1 HR, 3 RBI	13 PA, .417 BA .962 OPS	7 PA, .200 BA .486 OPS, 1 RBI	10 PA, .400 BA 1.000 OPS
Todd Hollandsworth	3/3, 2 RBI	N/A	11 PA, .444 BA, .667 SLG	2/2, 1 RBI

Using a combination of expanded statistics and game history, an educated hypothesis can be created playing out the remainder of the game from the top of the 8th inning.

*Mike Mordecai pinch hits for relief pitcher Chad Fox, and flies out to left field for Out #1

*Juan Pierre rips a 2-2 pitch to left and slides into second base with a one out double.

*Luis Castillo, assuming Bartman backs off and Alou fields the ball cleanly, fouls out to left for Out #2

*Ivan Rodriguez rips an 0-2 slider into left for a single. Pierre scores from second. Marlins trail the Cubs, 3-1.

*Miguel Cabrera hits a high chopper to Alex Gonzalez. Even in this scenario with two outs, it's assumed that Gonzalez couldn't handle the bounce and bobbled the ball to allow Cabrera to reach base and Pudge to reach second.

*Derrek Lee steps up to the plate. In actual game history, Lee tied the game with a bases loaded double. Even if Alou recorded the second out of the inning, Prior's wheels would still be falling off. He would make the same approach to Lee, and Lee would still take the first pitch he saw into the gap in left-center for a double. The big difference, however, is in this simulation it's only one run scoring instead of two--Cabrera was a clumsy runner that would prevent him from making a scoring attempt all the way from first.

*Instead of a 3-3 tie, now it would have been a 3-2 Cubs lead with two on and two out. Prior was pulled immediately after giving up the double to Lee, and it's easy to assume the same would happen in this scenario. With the lead intact, Dusty Baker had the option of bringing closer Joe Borowski in for the long save. However, Borowski had just 1 game in which he pitched over 1 inning. That means Kyle Farnsworth is likely brought in to record the all important third out.

*Mike Lowell is next to the dish. Farnsworth intentionally walked Lowell in Game 6 likely to set up a double play. Given Lowell's moderate success against Farnsworth and Jeff Conine's struggles, it's likely that Lowell is walked again with first base open.

*With 2 outs in the bottom of the 8th, Jeff Conine would face Kyle Farnsworth with the bases loaded in a 1 run game.


The numbers aren't at all unanimous one way or the other. However there is a clear majority of categories favoring Farnsworth against Conine, particularly seeing Conine popped out in Game 6 to begin with (the second out of the inning which yielded the go-ahead run). That would make Out #3, and the Cubs would escape with a thin lead.


*Even playing with a narrow lead, there's no reason to believe the bottom of the 8th would play out any differently than the 1-2-3 inning that occurred. At the end of 8, it would be 3-2 Cubs.

*In the 9th, the Cubs would go with their closer Joe Borowski to face Alex S. Gonzalez (the Marlins' shortstop, not the Cubs'), a pinch hitter (likely Todd Hollandsworth), and Juan Pierre. Borowski had blown 4 saves in 37 opportunities during the 2003 season. But his numbers during the ninth inning were nothing short of dominating, particularly when he got down to two outs.

*Alex S. Gonzalez was a defensive specialist and hit barely over .200 during the season. Borowski would get him to ground out for Out #1.

*Todd Hollandsworth is a serviceable pinch hitter, but there's no extraordinary reason to believe he does anything but pop out for Out #2.







*Down to their last out, Juan Pierre comes up to the plate. Normally, a .300 hitter with over 200 hits and a league leader in stolen bases would be given a decent chance of extending the game. But Borowski only allowed an aenemic .413 OPS when there were 2 outs in the inning. With everything on the line, Pierre would ground out for Out #3.

The game would end 3-2, Cubs.

So yes, Cubs fans, you have been verified. Had Steve Bartman not interfered with Moises Alou in the 8th inning of Game 6 of the NLCS, the Chicago Cubs likely would have gone to the World Series. All the speculation and presumptions made in blind rage may have some sense of truth to them given the statistical scenario.

But would it have ended there? Steve Bartman negated an NL pennant, but did he really prevent the Cubs from winning the World Series as well?

The New York Yankees were on an emotional high of their own after winning a long and arduous pennant. It's important to keep in mind that the Yankees ended up losing the World Series to the Florida Marlins, meaning had the Cubs replaced them in the Series then they'd potentially already have the upper hand.

	BA/OBP/SLG%/OPS	HR / Runs	OPS +	Total Bases
Cubs offense 2003 regular season	.259/.323/.416/.739	172/724	91	2,297
Yankees offense 2003 regular season	.271/.356/.453/.810	230/845	114	2,540
	ERA (starters)	ERA (bullpen)	WHIP	Strikeouts
Cubs pitching 2003 regular season	3.58	3.68	1.319	1,404
Yankees pitching 2003 regular season	4.20	3.67	1.291	1,119
	BA/OBP/SLG%/OPS	Runs	ERA	WHIP
Cubs 2003 NLCS	.258/.324/.484/.808	42	4.77	1.455
Yankees 2003 World Series	.261/.338/.406/.743	21	2.13	1.109

Unfortunately the numbers aren't conclusive enough to define a clear cut winner. The Yankees had a better offense, a slightly better bullpen, the Cubs had a superior starting rotation, and their respective final series saw a flip in the script with the Yankees pitching overshadowing the Cubs, and Cubs' bats out dueling the Yankees'. The stats just aren't decisive enough to pick a winner.

Steve Bartman may have been a scapegoat for the demise of the Chicago Cubs in 2003. But his action goes to prove the butterfly effect in its essence. One fan reaches for a souvenir and effectively changed the course of baseball history.




(Sources:
Stats and research: www.baseball-reference.com
Photos: mlb.com, espn.com, chicagotribune.com, gettyimages.com
Videos: YouTube - MLB channel)