Bill Murray gave his extra Game 6 ticket to a fan who followed him outside the park … She had a better seat than @AlRoker 😅😅 #WorldSeries pic.twitter.com/m0whctxB66
— Troy Hughes™ (@TommySledge) November 2, 2016
One of the great things about Bill Murray is he kind of pops up when the world needs him the most. Like offering marriage advice while he crashes a bachelor party, shaking up the realm of golf attire or slinging drinks in Brooklyn. Okay, it was his son’s bar, chances were good he’d show up. If you have even a mild interest in Bill, who just won the Kennedy Center’s Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, you likely know that he is a huge Chicago Cubs fan. Bill is from Evanston, IL and he’ll talk about his Cubs anywhere, including devoted White Sox’s fan Pres. Obama’s briefing room. So it will surprise no one that Bill, who has beenall over this series, made another Cubs fan’s dreams come true when he handed her a ticket to the World Series, Game Six Tuesday and it was the seat right next to him.
No ticket? No problem!
Die-hard Cubs fan Karen Michel got the surprise of a lifetime when at Tuesday’s World Series game, actor Bill Murray gifted her with a Game 6 ticket — right next to his seat.
She says the actor noticed her walking away from the box office, heartbroken, after she was unable to score last minute tickets to the game.
“I thought some people holding tickets might not show up or something, I figured I’d give it a shot but I wasn’t expecting much,” Michel, 54, tells PEOPLE. “It was crazy, Bill walked right by me, grabbed me and gave me a ticket! I said, ‘Where are we going?’ and he said, ‘You can come sit with me!’ ”
Murray escorted Michel to their seats — six rows behind home plate — and the two shared nachos while gabbing about Cubs players and cheering their team on.
The new friends were surrounded by celebrities, including Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam (he sat a few rows in front of Murray and Michel) and Al Roker (in the row behind), at the game.
“We talked about growing up as Cubs fans and playing baseball,” says Michel, who was born and raised near Munster, Indiana. “Bill said he was born in Evanston and used to go to the games with his brother and he played catcher growing up.”
I swear my dead heart just started beating again. Of all the things this nice woman thought was going to happen that day – could you imagine? She didn’t even think there would be a ticket for her at the ticket window, let alone in Bill Murray’s pocket. And she ends up eating nachos and reminiscing about Bill’s childhood. Because this is Bill Murray, it is fairly easy to believe they sat and chatted like old friends but I think sports does that to people. I live in LA where eye-contact with a stranger is illegal but I’ve been wordlessly high-fived by passing strangers wearing the same sports team logo as me. A long time (and usually long-suffering) love for a team bridges almost any cultural divide. Sometimes being a member of the fan club is even better than the sport. Music can make strange bedfellows too. Like the aforementioned Eddie Vedder and Bill singing “The Weight” at a house party after Saturday’s game. I’m not a big baseball person but I’ve been shamelessly living vicariously through my die-hard Cub fan friends. Especially since my 49ers have hit rock bottom and kept digging, my son’s golf coach can’t stop gloating about his stupid Cowboys winning, I now officially live in Rams country and football sucks. Go Cubs!
Tears of joy from Bill Murray. #WorldSeries pres. by @TMobile pic.twitter.com/YSopeRyFbA
— MLB GIFS (@MLBGIFs) October 31, 2016
Photo credit: WENN Photos and Getty Images
Oh my god, I adore Bill Murray and I’m a HUGE Cubs fan, so this story is pretty much as good as sex.
The man is a g*d damn world treasure!!!!
As a Blue Jays fan, at the start of this series I was not supporting anyone in particular…. then my friend told me how her 101yr old aunt who is a HUGE Cubs fan was beside herself that she just might get to see them FINALLY win a World Series. Instant Cubs fan made right here!!!!
WAY TO GO CUBBIES !
Chicagoan here, one who suffered through 1969, 1984, 2003. I’m tired from being up so late …but worth it!
minx: I happy not happy (lol) for you, but don’t forget the Bulls. Chicago may not have had the baseball Gods in their corner until last night, but you had the greatness of the Bulls. Michael Jordan is a legend in your town as LeBron is in mine!
Congrats to the Cubs fans! What a game!
Ps: Nicely done, Bill Murray! 🙂
I’m so glad the Cubs won. The curse is lifted. It’s really nice for fans also great that at the team which has fans that dress up in red face lost.
That’s one of the reasons why my household was rooting for the Cubs; it’s been too long, Cleveland’s team name and logo is gross, and they spanked the Blue Jays (we live not far from Toronto)
I was listening to an interview on NPR with a Native American who among other things talked about how painful it is for them to see people walking around in red faces and talking about ‘tribes’ etc. As long as they have that name and racist fans that dress up and mock Native Americans I hope they lose.
so the rumor mill says…
Cleveland said they will “consider” retiring “Chief Wahoo” after this season and will no longer sell merchandise with his image on it. I REALLY REALLY hope they do because it’s been too long.
Please, please, please! Cleveland spanked my beloved Red Sox and still the damn logo was really the only thing I could hold against them in the series. Put the focus on your tremendous athletes and fans, Cleveland!
Keep in mind Luca, it’s not the players who chose the logo! It’s the teams administration/owners, etc. Let’s not discredit the players hardwork! The Indians haven’t been to the World Series since I was 11 yrs old! They worked hard for this & I don’t think they deserved to lose just bc the Cleveland owners didn’t want to make a mascot change at the end of the season! Not to mention, SLIDER is technically the mascot anyway. Not someone walking around in full Indian getup with a painted face.
I don’t hear anyone complaining about the Cincinnati Redskins!! Maybe bc they’re not winning
I think that team name you mentioned is worse. I hear a lot more about removing that from Washington’s team than Cleveland. In my opinion as long as they allow fans dressed up in Redface at their games and as long as they normalize racist language in the name of sports they deserve to lose.
Because there is no Cincinnati Redskins. The Cincinnati Reds’ name comes from Red Legs, which used to be what their team was called because they wore red socks. The Washington Redskins football team is also a racist disgrace, and I think you’ll find that a lot of people continue to protest against their name and logo.
Not to mention, the Washington Redskins are under immense pressure to change their team name. It isn’t just offensive, it’s a slur.
As a life long Cubs fan, I feel your pain. Your team played so well. Honestly, unless they play the Cubs next year in the WS, I’d be rooting for them.
Congrats Cubs!
Congrats to the Cubbies. It is a hard pill to swallow for us Tribe fans, but we’re kind of used to it. Go Cavs…..lol….that’s all I got today besides if we had to lose, I’m glad it was to Chicago who had a worse drought than we did.
Yep, same here. If we were going to lose, let it be to the Cubs. Oh, and Bill Murray is the love of my life. He just doesn’t know it yet.
And how about them Cavs!
Whew! Thanks for the post Nona. I was feeling rather alone. I blame it on Charlie Sheen! JK. I am more of a basketball fan, but obviously wanted two championships in one year (if you’re from Cleveland too, you know the possibilities of that!) No more diversions till election day, but I sure hope I don’t have the feeling next week that I have today. Afterthought: The Monsters were champs too! See we’re not cursed anymore!!!!!!
I lurk more than comment, but another (transplanted) Cleveland gal here. That was utterly heartbreaking, but our guys worked their butts off, and and no shade on them from me! I just hope the owner’s don’t start trading players away again, and we can build on the team we have! Can’t wait for April 1st!
And on a side note – I NEED that t-shirt LeBron was wearing last night in my closet!
Right. LeBron is just such a good guy. He does so much for the people of Cleveland and Akron. I hope he retires here……we need him!
Blue Jays fan here…
Cleveland were unstoppable and it took something really really extraordinary to beat them. I was lucky enough to see 2 of the ALCS games in Toronto (Blue Jays won one and Cleveland clinched the series in the other) and it was a pleasure to watch that team in action. Just wow.
What a great thing for Bill to do. This renews my faith in humanity after this horrible election season. Congratulations to the Cubs and all their fans. What a feeling!
I am in such conflict with Bill Murray. I have always always loved him, find him utterly charming, endearing, hilarious, unusual and generally amazing. But his ex wife stated in divorce proceedings that he was violent towards her (as well as abusive in other ways and serial cheating). NO BILL MURRAY WHY WHY WHY
@SQUEE you need to read up a bit more carefully. Such as about the time after the divorce filing his kids fled their mother and ran to a neighbor’s house for help and to get the police because she had gotten drunk and abusive. That’s not a rumour, there was a police report. Not saying he’s a saint at all but I really don’t take her word at face value.
Yeah, the youngest kids live with him and not their mother.
Oh man that is awful but glad I can go back to loving him now! Thanks!!
I hear you on the disappointment of your football team this season. I am a Jets fan I have been a Jets fan for many years. The season kills me a little bit inside. On top of that, I hear it from Giants fans every day.
When I first heard this story it warmed my heart, too. Murray’s love for the Cubs is epic and it’s great how he is happy to spread the goodwill.
What a series, what a Cubs team, what a game last night. I am literally dragging my teen boys out of bed to get to school, it’s been an exhilarating and exhausting ride for many Chicagoans.
I can only hope this historic, amazing win bodes well for election day!!
I am so glad to live in a world where there is Bill Murray.
This is such a great spot of brightness in an otherwise horrible time. And I didn’t really care about the World Series until last night but I’m so happy now because of Bill Murray, the curse, Back to the Future and, this: a tweet I saw last night claimed (and I’m going to believe it) that in the past 8 presidential election years, win the AL team wins the World Series, the Republican candidate wins. And win the NL team wins, the Democratic candidate wins. So I’m now clinging to that in order to prevent a stress heart attack in the next five days!
Really? Wow. I’ll cling to that, too. 🙂
Congratulations to Bill Murray, Karen Michel, and all Cubs fans. Here in Boston, we know the wait, we know the pain and we know the joy that comes with finally winning. So happy for you that you have finally achieved it. God Bless Theo Epstein!
And Cleveland, you fought a hard fight, played a great season. You can be proud. Love to Tito, Napoli, and Coco. I regret that this year you won’t experience the weird joy of a celebrating Napoli wandering your streets shirtless and barefoot. Maybe next year.
He’s really getting old. Im happy he got to live this moment.
Cleveland is a fantastic team and they played brilliantly. Still, I am SO GLAD that my Cubs finally won! 108 years is a long freaking time, and we’ve suffered enough.
I LOVE THIS STORY! Thanks for highlighting the act of kindness. Bill Murray is one of our patron saints and this city has gone insane today!
A slight correction: Bill Murray is from Wilmette, not Evanston.
YEA CUBBIES!
I could care less about baseball, but that is a truly heartwarming story. It’s also kind of sad, though, like a major Hollywood star was going to the Cubs game alone with no one to sit next to him until he saw a random stranger. She maybe made his day, too.
Im not from Chicago but followed them through the playoffs and let me tell you I dont know how you Chicagoans can even lol
Last night was a rollercoaster, and that damn tie, the rain, extra innings! What a game! I thought I was gonna get a heart attack.
Congratulations Cubs! Good game Cleveland.. change the logo tho 🙂
Last night’s wild ride of a game was basically a little microcosm of what it feels like to be a Cubs fan all the time, lol. Until now, anyway!
I’m from Chicago and have been a CUBS fan since I was in my mother’s womb. I woke up crying and this story didn’t help!
I have a soft spot for the Cubbies because I know the feeling of waiting your whole life to see your beloved baseball team win it all. (I’m from Boston.) Plus my husband’s family lives in Chicago so I’m really happy the Cubs won. The story about Bill and the ticket is heartwarming and I needed to hear something that good and nice given this horrible election season.
bill murray is a god damn national treasure. congrats to the cubs!!!!!
im going to use his name as my mantra to stay calm the next 5 days…..ohhhmmmmmmm….billllllmuuurrrrrayyyyy….ohhmmmmmm. *ting*
I love Bill Murray and was SO happy the Cubs won, mostly for his sake!!!
P.s. @Hecate: I’ve been a die hard 49ers fan since I was 13 (I’m 51 now) and they have never sucked harder. So disappointing, they had my hopes up again when Jim Harbaugh was coach, but he left and it seems like half the rest of the team since – literally! The team is nearly unrecognizable now! And I miss Frank Gore!! 🙁
The only words I read in the story were “Eddie Vedder”. God I love his voice.
Murray was born in Evanston but did not grow up there. He was raised in the nearby town of Wilmette, the end of the Purple Line L.
Lifelong Cubs fan. I’m still processing the fact they actually won. But I second the poster above who said Cleveland is a fantastic team and they played brilliantly. Had a bunch of friends and family who drove to Cleveland for games 1 and 2, and said they met the nicest people, and felt welcome by all, even if they were cheering for the other team. What an amazing game!
And the random Bill Murray stories are everywhere. College friend ran into him at a Target few years back, he was looking for U of I basketball gear. Said he was a trip.
Bill Murray is a gift to humanity. I love this so much. I haven’t watched Baseball in years, but I watched that game last night. It was really intense.
Sorry…..I love you, but I have to say it………..GO Cowboys!
Ah Bill Murray makes my stone cold heart warm up. Love this story. HEcate, as a former die hard niners fan, I feel your pain. The Dorks just drove this team to the ground. Bill Walsh must be dizzy from all that spinning he is doing.
As a Royals fan, congrats to the Cubbies! While our team didn’t perform so well this year, it’s always nice to hand the World Series title to another Cinderella team going through a drought. Cleveland played so well during the series too – this was a series to remember!
Ugh, I just can’t with the Cowboys! I root for the Jets and the Giants because I’m originally from New York. I know what you mean about sports and music making for strange bedfellows. That goes for Universities too. I went to a pretty well known school that has a well known football team. The minute I tell them what school I went to, I’m their new best friend!