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Sports Thursday, February 26, 2026 | | |
| | | | | Good morning, Chicago. "You're now looking at $113,000 worth of string." On this date in 2004, the baseball that was deflected by Cubs fan Steve Bartman during Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS against the Marlins went up in smoke outside Harry Caray's restaurant in River North. A combination of
heat, pressure and explosives was used by special effects experts to demolish the ball, which had been purchased by the restaurant's manager. Donations and commemorative memorabilia for the event helped raise about $1 million for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Organizers hoped Bartman would appear for the gimmick, but he didn't. Oscar-winning special effects expert Michael Lantieri, from left, Dutchie Caray and Grant DePorter watch the Bartman ball as it is destroyed on Feb. 26, 2004. (Scott Strazzante/Chicago Tribune) "I feel bad for Bartman,
" Cubs announcer Ron Santo told the Tribune from his Arizona home. "He was not the reason we lost that ballgame." Remnants of the ball were served as part of a special sauce at the restaurant in 2005. Today’s eNewspaper edition | Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History | | | | Tremaine Edmunds’ camp will see if another team is willing to flip a late-round draft pick in exchange for him. If not, the Chicago Bears are expected to release Edmunds. | | | | | As he entered free agency for a fourth time, Michael Conforto wanted to be part of a winning team after getting a taste of it in Los Angeles. | | | | | Manager Will Venable said it’s going to “huge” for the Chicago White Sox to find ways to keep Lenyn Sosa’s bat in the lineup. “You kind of think of him as instant offense.” | | | | | For the second time in a week, the Chicago Bulls must navigate the resurgence of a prior injury in one of their trade-deadline acquisitions. | | | | | Hilary Knight doesn’t want to let what she called a “distasteful joke” from President Donald Trump get in the way of a historic performance by American women across all sports at the Olympics. | | | | | Veteran infielder Tyler Austin projected to be an important bench piece for the Chicago Cubs this year. That is now in flux after he underwent surgery Tuesday. | | | |
