October 5, 2007. Jacobs Field, Cleveland. Game 2 of the ALDS. Bottom of the eighth inning. The Yankees led 1-0. Joba Chamberlain -- the 22-year-old rookie who'd posted a 0.38 ERA over 19 regular-season appearances -- jogged to the mound to protect the lead. Then the midges came. Thousands of them. Maybe millions. Tiny flying insects from Lake Erie, attracted by the 81-degree October heat and the stadium lights, swarming the pitcher's mound like a biblical plague. What happened next was the strangest, most infuriating, most genuinely surreal game in modern postseason history.
The Setup
The Yankees had lost Game 1 at Cleveland, 12-3 -- a brutal beatdown that made the Bug Game feel even more urgent. Chien-Ming Wang had been shelled, and the offense had disappeared against Cleveland's pitching. The series was already in trouble, and the Yankees needed Game 2 to avoid going back to New York down 2-0.
Fausto Carmona had been brilliant for Cleveland, pitching shutout ball through seven innings. But Jeter had gotten the Yankees' only run across in the top of the eighth, and when Chamberlain came in to protect the 1-0 lead, the 44,732 fans at Jacobs Field knew they were in trouble. This kid hadn't allowed a run in what felt like months. The 2007 regular season had proven he was close to unhittable.
Then nature intervened.
The Swarm
The midges arrived suddenly and completely. One moment, Chamberlain was warming up. The next, he was covered -- insects crawling on his neck, his face, his arms, swarming around the rosin bag and the rubber. The Stadium lights created a visible cloud of bugs around the mound, and Chamberlain was at the center of it.
The Yankees' trainer rushed out and sprayed him with insect repellent. It didn't help. If anything, the spray seemed to attract more of the little monsters. (Later analysis suggested the repellent's scent might've actually drawn them closer -- the ultimate backfire.) Chamberlain tried to pitch through it. He couldn't. His focus was shattered. Bugs were literally crawling into his eyes and mouth.
He walked Grady Sizemore. He threw a wild pitch that moved the runner to second. He threw another wild pitch that scored the tying run. All without surrendering a hit. The Indians tied the game 1-1 on bugs, wild pitches, and the complete psychological destruction of a 22-year-old kid who'd been virtually untouchable for two months.
The Injustice
Here's what made it maddening: the bugs didn't bother Carmona. Or at least, they didn't seem to. The Cleveland starter stayed on the mound, appeared unfazed by the swarm, and kept pitching into the ninth inning. The conspiracy-minded among us (which is most of us) pointed out that Carmona was used to Lake Erie's bug population -- these insects showed up at Jacobs Field every warm October. The Yankees had never experienced anything like it. The playing conditions weren't equal, and nobody with authority did anything about it.
Joe Torre later said his biggest regret was that he didn't pull the team off the field. He was right. The umpires should've stopped play. They should've waited for the swarm to pass, or moved the game, or done literally anything other than letting a 22-year-old try to throw strikes while insects crawled on his face. But they didn't, and the game continued, and the Yankees lost.
Extra Innings and the Walk-Off
Carmona finished nine innings of one-run ball -- a masterful performance that would've been the story in any normal game. But this wasn't a normal game. The teams played into the 11th inning, with both bullpens trading zeros, until Travis Hafner delivered a walk-off single to give Cleveland the 2-1 win and a 2-0 series lead.
The Yankees' season was effectively over right there. They'd come back to New York for Game 3 and win -- Johnny Damon launched a go-ahead three-run homer, and the rookie bullpen stabilized -- but Cleveland closed the series in Game 4. The last postseason game ever played at the original Yankee Stadium ended with a 6-4 loss and an era's quiet death.
What It Cost
The Bug Game's impact went beyond the series. For Chamberlain specifically, the experience may have planted seeds of doubt that complicated his development. The kid who'd been fearless suddenly had a memory of helplessness -- standing on the biggest stage of his young career, covered in insects, unable to control anything around him. Whether the Bug Game directly affected his subsequent career trajectory is impossible to prove, but the symbolism was hard to miss. (The debate about whether to keep him in the bullpen or move him to the rotation -- the "Joba Rules" saga -- started that winter, and the franchise never did figure out the right answer.)
For the team, the Bug Game capped a season of transition that included Torre's departure, A-Rod's opt-out drama, and the realization that the aging core couldn't carry the franchise through October anymore. The old Yankee Stadium hosted its last playoff game four days later, and the future that had looked so electric when Chamberlain debuted in August suddenly felt uncertain.
| Date | October 5, 2007 |
| Location | Jacobs Field, Cleveland |
| Final Score | Indians 2, Yankees 1 (11 innings) |
| Chamberlain's Line | 0.2 IP, 0 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 WP |
| Chamberlain Strikes | 12 of 25 pitches (48%) |
| Carmona's Line | 9.0 IP, 1 ER |
| Walk-Off Hit | Travis Hafner, RBI single (11th) |
| Temperature | 81°F (attracted midges) |
Game 1 -- Cleveland Routs Yankees
Cleveland dominates 12-3. Wang is shelled. The Yankees need Game 2 badly.
Chamberlain Enters with 1-0 Lead
Joba comes in to protect a one-run lead. The Stadium lights and warm temperature draw midges to the field.
The Swarm Hits
Thousands of midges descend on the mound. Chamberlain is sprayed with repellent. It doesn't help. He throws two wild pitches and walks Sizemore. Cleveland ties it 1-1 without getting a hit.
Hafner Walks It Off
Travis Hafner singles home the winning run. Cleveland takes a 2-0 series lead. The Yankees' season is on life support.
Series Ends
The Yankees win Game 3 in New York but lose Game 4. The last postseason game at the original Yankee Stadium ends with a whimper.
Frequently Asked Questions
What were the midges in the 2007 Bug Game?
The midges were small flying insects native to the Lake Erie region that swarm near water and are attracted to light and warmth. On October 5, 2007, the 81-degree temperature and stadium lights drew a massive swarm to Jacobs Field during Game 2 of the ALDS. The insects overwhelmed Joba Chamberlain on the mound while barely affecting Cleveland's Fausto Carmona.
Did Joba Chamberlain give up any hits during the Bug Game meltdown?
No. Chamberlain didn't allow a single hit during his nightmare eighth-inning appearance. The Indians tied the game entirely through a walk (Grady Sizemore) and two wild pitches. He threw only 12 of 25 pitches for strikes while covered in midges.
Why didn't the umpires stop play during the Bug Game?
Despite having the authority to suspend play for unplayable conditions, the umpiring crew chose not to intervene. Joe Torre later expressed regret that he didn't pull his team off the field in protest. The decision remains one of the most criticized non-calls in postseason history.