Remember When: The Bug Game
- 6 years ago
This playoff game’s most critical moments were stopped by a swarm of insects. Years later, it’s simply known as, “The Bug Game.”
October 5, 2007. The Cleveland Indians were hosting the New York Yankees in a crucial MLB postseason game. The Indians had already taken Game 1 of the division series the previous night. With the series slated for a best-of-five, this was arguably a must win game for the Yankees.
Meanwhile, Chamberlain, a 21-year-old rookie, had broken into the big leagues just two months earlier. He was essentially unhittable — in 24 innings, Chamberlain struck out 34 hitters while only allowing just one earned run. In this case, Joe Torre asked him to put out another fire. Chamberlain did just that, ending the Indians rally on just five pitches.
The game looked pretty much over, then all hell broke loose. As Chamberlain came back out to pitch the bottom of the eighth inning, a swarm of midges gathered around Jacobs Field. A midge is a small fly-like insect that are found throughout the Great Lakes region of the U.S.
Appearing rattled by the bugs, Chamberlain began to implode. Yankees trainer Gene Monahan came onto the field to douse the pitcher in bug spray. Only the thing is, bug spray has the opposite effect on midges. Rather than repel them, the spray acts like an aphrodisiac. They swarmed Chamberlain almost immediately, which turned the game upside down. Eventually, the tying run stood on third base with two outs.
The Indians went on to win the game two to one in 11 innings, and eventually eliminated the Yankees just two games later. The game had a much bigger effect on Chamberlain. While he enjoyed some moments of success in his 10-year career, Chamberlain was never the same dominant pitcher again. And nothing he accomplished in the years since was ever as memorable as what happened at The Bug Game.
This video, "Remember When: The Bug Game", first appeared on
nowthisnews.com.
October 5, 2007. The Cleveland Indians were hosting the New York Yankees in a crucial MLB postseason game. The Indians had already taken Game 1 of the division series the previous night. With the series slated for a best-of-five, this was arguably a must win game for the Yankees.
Meanwhile, Chamberlain, a 21-year-old rookie, had broken into the big leagues just two months earlier. He was essentially unhittable — in 24 innings, Chamberlain struck out 34 hitters while only allowing just one earned run. In this case, Joe Torre asked him to put out another fire. Chamberlain did just that, ending the Indians rally on just five pitches.
The game looked pretty much over, then all hell broke loose. As Chamberlain came back out to pitch the bottom of the eighth inning, a swarm of midges gathered around Jacobs Field. A midge is a small fly-like insect that are found throughout the Great Lakes region of the U.S.
Appearing rattled by the bugs, Chamberlain began to implode. Yankees trainer Gene Monahan came onto the field to douse the pitcher in bug spray. Only the thing is, bug spray has the opposite effect on midges. Rather than repel them, the spray acts like an aphrodisiac. They swarmed Chamberlain almost immediately, which turned the game upside down. Eventually, the tying run stood on third base with two outs.
The Indians went on to win the game two to one in 11 innings, and eventually eliminated the Yankees just two games later. The game had a much bigger effect on Chamberlain. While he enjoyed some moments of success in his 10-year career, Chamberlain was never the same dominant pitcher again. And nothing he accomplished in the years since was ever as memorable as what happened at The Bug Game.
This video, "Remember When: The Bug Game", first appeared on
nowthisnews.com.