The 2003 National League Championship Series (NLCS) was a Major League Baseball playoff series played from October 7 to 15 to determine the champion of the National League, between the Central Division champion Chicago Cubs and the wild-card qualifying Florida Marlins. The Cubs, by virtue of being a division winner, had the home field advantage. The Marlins came back from a three games to one deficit and won the series in seven games, advancing to the World Series against the New York Yankees.

The two teams were victorious in the NL Division Series (NLDS), with the Cubs defeating the East Division champion Atlanta Braves three games to two, and the Marlins defeating the West Division champion San Francisco Giants three games to one.

The series is most remembered for events that unfolded in the top of the eighth inning of Game 6. Not having won a championship since 1908, the Cubs had just taken two out of the three games in Miami, with the final two games at Wrigley Field in Chicago. The Cubs also had their best two pitchers, Mark Prior and Kerry Wood, slated to start the final two games. With the Cubs leading 3–0 and just five outs away from their first World Series since 1945, Steve Bartman, a fan, reached for the foul ball hit by Luis Castillo off Prior, preventing Cubs outfielder Moisés Alou from catching it. Castillo proceeded to walk and Prior and the Cubs never recovered from the incident. Aided by Castillo's walk and later an error by Cubs shortstop Alex Gonzalez on a potential double-play grounder, the Marlins went on to score eight runs in the inning and won the game 8–3. There were some odd events leading up to the disastrous 8th inning that many Cubs fans call bad omens of The Curse of the Billy Goat, which most notably include Bernie Mac altering "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" from "root for the Cubbies" to "root for the champs." The Marlins went on to win Game 7 and then to defeat the New York Yankees in the World Series.

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