As Conneely felt like she was going to cry, a certain fan seated in the lower deck on the left-field line probably felt like he was going to get killed.

The man allegedly interfered with a foul pop-up that, had it been caught by Moises Alou, could have led to an entirely different outcome – possibly, Chicago's first pennant victory since 1959.

With the Cubs' ensuing collapse, the crowd grew ugly. Security guards forced their way through the crowd and escorted a 26-year-old man wearing a Cubs hat and headphones from his seat along the low outfield wall and into a security office.

He covered his face with a sweater as he walked past seatmates who shouted obscenities and pelted him with cups of beer. Some chanted, "Kill him!"

Cubs security chief Mike Hill refused to give out any details about the man, but did say the team gave him a new coat and led him out a different exit after the game so no one could recognize him.

"He was scared to death more than anything,'' Hill said. "He just wanted to get out of here."

Outside the ballpark, Miguel Quinones, 21, of Chicago, said he was going somewhere to "drink this horrible loss away."

Jenny Gauna, 20, another Chicago resident, could only mutter, "Fish fry, fish fry."

"But we'll be back tomorrow, because we have faith," Gauna said.

After it was all over, dejected fans started filing out of the ballpark. True Cub followers, they quickly reverted to form.

"I think they're done now. It's the curse. No question. They were five outs away," said Chris Burr, 35, from Greenfield, Wis.

Mark Krier, 31, of Chicago, said, "They've got no chance after this. How do you come back after that?"

"It looks like we will all be out here tomorrow night," said Dan Kramer, 20, a Northwestern University student who was among hundreds of fans who packed themselves in, shoulder-to-shoulder, on Waveland Avenue.

Now! Let's take alook at the fan to this man right.... The young Lady, to his right is wearing a Hamline University Shirt...

The Morning news staff at Kmsp9 Tv of Mpls/St.Paul, are saying this.... Is this a St. Paul Minnesota connection? With the Twin out for the season. That this fan was there to enjoy the game... But was there going for the ball as well. Let look at the pic....

Next to the knucklehead fan who tried Tuesday night to catch a foul ball and in the process kept the Florida Marlins alive in Chi-town for Game 6 of the NLCS, is a woman/girl wearing a Hamline University shirt.

We feel the Cubs pain, but moving on, we are curious: Is she a current student? Alum? Child of an alum? Friend of an alum?

Oh, the speculation could go on and on -- but not if you know who she is. If you do, please email cj@startribune.com. Once again, it looks like there is a Minnesota angle to another national story.

Leave 'Hamline' alone

After my motives were explained, attorney Jennifer Macaulay said: "Perhaps I jumped the gun. It's kind of our nature as Citians to stand up for our own. People just like to get mad at you every day."

My favorite e-mail came from a Sive, who wrote, "Back off, Barracuda!"