October 5, 2007: Game 2 of the American League Division Series. This was the Bug Game. The Yankees are leading 1-0 in the 8th inning, on a Melky Cabrera home run.
Suddenly, a swarm of insects, identified as "Lake Erie Midges," descends on the field, and starts crawling all over Yankee reliever Joba Chamberlain, the young superstar of the season. He never recovered as a major league pitcher. The umpires, led by Bruce Froemming, refused to suspend the game until the bugs left. Joe Torre went along with this. Casey Stengel would not have. Billy Martin certainly would not have.
The Indians tied the game in the inning, and won the game in the 11th inning, and won the series in 4 games. The Yankees could have protested to the MLB office, but what good would that have done?
A loss due to bugs? This is the sort of thing that happens to Boston, to Chicago, to Philly. In fact, things like this could be expected to happen in Cleveland, but to Cleveland.
When the Yankees lose in a big situation, there's rarely a bizarre element to it. This was bizarre. This was "curse material."
When the Yankees lose in a big situation, there's rarely a bizarre element to it. This was bizarre. This was "curse material."
The umpires should have stopped the game for "unplayable conditions" as if it was raining, or (as has happened in Cleveland) there was snow, or fog. Surely, Billy Martin would have lodged an official protest. As would George Steinbrenner, a Cleveland native, who would have expected this, if he were still alive. Can we really be sure that he is?
But then, what do you expect? The crew chief is Bruce Froemming, the longest, uh, serving, and in my book worst, umpire who has ever lived. This guy deserves to be left alone in a room for 15 minutes with Milton Bradley. He is that bad of an ump...
But then, what do you expect? The crew chief is Bruce Froemming, the longest, uh, serving, and in my book worst, umpire who has ever lived. This guy deserves to be left alone in a room for 15 minutes with Milton Bradley. He is that bad of an ump...
Andy Pettitte justified our faith in him. He was in trouble in every inning, and got out of every inning. I only heard that sixth on the radio, and I'm convinced I could hear John Sterling squirming. That inning should be replayed at every pitching clinic from big-league spring training down to Little League, to show every pitcher, and aspiring pitcher, on the planet that speed is one of the least important factors for a pitcher, that far more important are control and poise. We are right to worry about Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy and Joba Chamberlain in situations like this, because they haven't been tested. Andy is the test.
But I don't blame Joba. He was pitching under conditions that, as far as I know, no pitcher in the history of postseason play in Major League Baseball has ever had to face, and that goes back to the 1884 matchup of the National League Champion Providence Grays and the American Association Champion New York Metropolitans. (Like their much-later successors, known as the Mets for short. The Grays won, behind workhorse Charlie "Old Hoss" Radbourn.)
Joba lost his control inside that swarm, but he didn't lose his poise or his courage. And he took it like a man from the press. He's 22. He's more mature than a lot of ballplayers in their 30s prove to be. Whoever's managing this team next year, please, do not make him into a starter. He can be Mariano Rivera's successor.
Instead, Joba was turned into a starter, an idea that failed, and he became one of the least mature players in recent Yankee history.
*
October 5, 2007 was a Friday. Game 2 of the other ALDS was played at Fenway Park. The Los Angeles Angels blew a 3-2 lead in the 5th inning, and Manny Ramirez took a Justin Speier pitch over the Green Monster in the 10th inning, giving the Boston Red Sox a 6-3 win.
And there were 6 NHL games played that night:
* The New York Islanders beat the Buffalo Sabres, 6-4 at the HSBC Arena (now the KeyBank Center) in Buffalo.
* The Carolina Hurricanes beat the Pittsburgh Penguins, 4-1 at the RBC Center (now the PNC Arena) in Raleigh.
* The Washington Capitals beat the Atlanta Thrashers, 3-1 at the Philips Arena (now the State Farm Arena) in Atlanta.
* The Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Anaheim Ducks, 4-0 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus. (Hey, that one still has its original name.)
* The Dallas Stars beat the Boston Bruins, 4-1 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. (Hey, that one still has its original name, too.)
* And the San Jose Sharks beat the Vancouver Canucks, 3-1 at General Motors Place (now Rogers Arena) in Vancouver.