Indians troll Yankees over infamous bug-infested playoff game

The Cleveland Indians’ social media team took the opportunity on Tuesday to remind the Yankees of the bugs that can infest Progressive Field.

No postseason series between the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians can go on without mentioning a game that has gone down in baseball lore simply as the “Bug Game.”

Thirteen years ago, in the second game of their ALDS matchup at Progressive Field in Cleveland, the powerful Yankees, led by Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, were looking to even the series against the Indians. They took a 1-0 lead into the eighth inning with rookie Joba Chamberlain, who had surrendered just one earned run all season, on the mound.

Then the bugs came.

The midges that live in Lake Erie thrive in hot, humid weather. The temperature at first pitch back in 2007 was a balmy 81 degrees. They usually come out 45 minutes after twilight; with a start time of 5:09 p.m, it perfectly coincided with the eighth inning.

Chamberlain was swarmed as the desperate Yankees tried to swat the bugs away. They even resorted to a can of bug spray. But the bugs had done their damage to Chamberlain’s psyche, and he allowed the tying run to score on a wild pitch with two outs in the inning. The Indians would go on to win the game in the bottom of the 11th and take the series in four games, Joe Torre’s last game as Yankees manager.

The Cleveland Indians had to bring up the bug game

It was a night no one who was there will ever forget, and whoever runs the Indians’ social media channels hasn’t forgotten either. Shortly before the Yankees and Indians began their best-of-three Wild Card series on Tuesday in Cleveland, the Indians posted a picture of a midge on the glass window of the press box. “Welcome back, old friend,” the post reads.

There is no danger of a repeat of the bugs today. The temperature in Cleveland is only 61 degrees. The Yankees have already scored more runs than they did on that October night 13 years ago, getting two off Shane Bieber with an Aaron Judge home run in the first inning.

Calling the game for ESPN is Rodriguez, who played third base for the Yankees in 2007. “I still see bugs in my sleep,” he said.

The bugs aren’t there in 2020, but, even after 13 years, they are far from forgotten.