Buggin' Out In Cleveland: MLB Playoffs Swarmed By Bugs!

Huffington Post   |  Rachel Sklar   |   October 5, 2007 09:04 PM


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2007-10-06-Faustohatesbugs.JPGFor those of you not whiling away your Friday night watching the ball game, you are missing a plague of Biblical proportions: In this year's American League Division Series, Game 2, the poor New York Yankees have been welcomed to Cleveland by the Indians....and swarms of bugs, buzzing around their sweaty faces as they try to pitch or hit or bunt or whatever it is these people do. See Indians pitcher Fausto Carmona swatting away bugs with ball and glove before pitching to Robinson Cano, who twitches and tries to blow one away (note the bugs crawling across Carmona's jersey, too). This little player doesn't do it justice - on a bigger screen you can really see those babies flying around. And it's gross. Check out this screengrab of the ball flying through the air; those little blurs all around it are bugs.Ditto for the things flying around the head of this poor Yankee. Swear. Watch the player swat the infernal beasts away in our mini-clip reel below:

It's like a locust attack, or like going camping deep in the woods covered in honey. If, you know, that's your thing.

Update: The Yankees lost, sadly, in extra innings. Guess they weren't as used to the bugs as the Indians were. Isn't that just the sort of cop-out that would drive a Cleveland fan bonkers. Well, if you're interested now they're showing Los Angeles Angels at Boston. Fenway Park: 100% bug free! Unless you find Ben Affleck annoying, we're sure he's there somewhere.

Yes, we know this isn't really about media. It's about sports, that other thing we know a lot about! Didn't we totally use the word "bunt" correctly? Look, it's Barry Bonds' giant head! Okay, that's all, we just wanted to point out the giant swarms of bugs. Cleveland rocks!

Update to the Update: Did I say "sadly"? Whoops, Sox fans and your Yankee-hating ilk, I meant "insert-your-own-adjective" — so feel free to. Also, further bug intel from a commenter below: "Chamberlain (NY pitcher, I know, you didn't know that) was spitting them out, the ones that weren't coating his neck that is." I think that commenter just gave me the Heismann.

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In an early reporting...Steinbrenner acquires Moses for pitcher relief

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:17 PM on 10/06/2007

Were those bugs on drugs? Steroids perhaps?

GO TRIBE!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:23 PM on 10/06/2007

Bugs...the tenth man. GO TRIBE!!!!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:05 PM on 10/06/2007
- johnnyjust I'm a Fan of johnnyjust 6 fans permalink

The curse of A-Rod.

And don't EVER diss Rachel Sklar...she's informed, entertaining, and HOT!

No bugs on her.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:18 PM on 10/06/2007
- frantaylor I'm a Fan of frantaylor 22 fans permalink

Thw umpire said he had no plan to stop the game. He said he's seen far worse.

I played baseball in Little League and in high school in New Hampshire. Every player gets his own personal cloud of black flies. Unlike these innocent little Canadian Soldiers, black flies rip out little chunks of your flesh.

Any baseball player who is affected by a few gnats is just a pussy.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:32 PM on 10/06/2007

That was the best game I ever saw in my life. It just goes to show that God has a sense of humor and is an Indians fan

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:27 AM on 10/06/2007
- micdago I'm a Fan of micdago 2 fans permalink

SADLY the yank-mees lost?

BULL ... SHIT!

GO TRIBE!!!

(For a left-wing blog and news source, I figgered my fellow huffpo visitors would abhor a right wing organization like the yank-mees.)

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:05 AM on 10/06/2007
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You got it micdago! Whoooohooo!!!!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:35 AM on 10/06/2007
- ohiomark I'm a Fan of ohiomark 127 fans permalink

Only on HuffPo does a great sport like baseball turn into a left/right issue.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:45 AM on 10/06/2007
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Forget the damn game,although the term "fly ball" has now taken on a new meaning:)

Why the hell were their so many bugs in the stadium?

More evidence of climate change?


Rick Lippin

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:23 AM on 10/06/2007
- ohiomark I'm a Fan of ohiomark 127 fans permalink

Jacob's Field is less than a mile from Lake Erie which spawns these bugs. It happens ever year and has nothing to do with the religion of global warming.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:34 AM on 10/06/2007
- Bluesman48 I'm a Fan of Bluesman48 11 fans permalink

You must have meant the science of global warming.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:43 AM on 10/06/2007
- BigBlue I'm a Fan of BigBlue 2 fans permalink

It was an invasion of canadian soldiers.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:41 AM on 10/06/2007
- argentino I'm a Fan of argentino 44 fans permalink
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Sadly is exactly right!!

I believe the bugs affected Joba Chamberlain, I've never seen anything like it - Imagine trying to throw a baseball to a small target with hundreds of little flys swarming around you and some of them flying into your mouth and into your eyes!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:08 AM on 10/06/2007
- argentino I'm a Fan of argentino 44 fans permalink
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And, by the way "squawk", I've lived in Paris, Istanbul and Buenos Aires and now live in New York City....New York City is the greatest city on earth!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 07:10 AM on 10/06/2007
- Bluesman48 I'm a Fan of Bluesman48 11 fans permalink

Nah, not compared to Paris.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:44 AM on 10/06/2007
- micdago I'm a Fan of micdago 2 fans permalink

Believe what you want. The bugs were out there -- as were both teams.

Excuses are like assholes, Yanks...

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:07 AM on 10/06/2007
- Democrab I'm a Fan of Democrab 19 fans permalink
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I still can't decide which is more rewarding, a Yankees loss or a Red Sox win.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:15 AM on 10/06/2007
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The Indians were dealing with the same thing and managed to play. Imagine trying to hit the baseball with all those little flies swarming.

Boo hoo.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:37 AM on 10/06/2007
- argentino I'm a Fan of argentino 44 fans permalink
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As a great Yankee once said: "It ain't over till it's over" - Talk to me next week clevelandchick...

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:32 AM on 10/06/2007
- argentino I'm a Fan of argentino 44 fans permalink
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Yeah, but living in Cleveland - the Indian players are used to the bugs...

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:52 AM on 10/06/2007
- johnnyjust I'm a Fan of johnnyjust 6 fans permalink

Imagine trying to hit with hundreds of little flies swarming...etc.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:15 PM on 10/06/2007

Sadly nothin.
Go Tribe, beat da Skankees in three straight!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:21 AM on 10/06/2007

The Religious Right Nuts see it as just one more plague on the Entertainment Industry. When will they learn that GOD stands ready to smite all who transgress him!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:34 AM on 10/06/2007
- larry278 I'm a Fan of larry278 50 fans permalink

The swarm of bugs must be seen as a sign from the g-d worshiped in Cleveland, Oh, aka the mistake by the lake, that a series of plagues, similar to the plagues the g-d of Israel inflicted upon Egypt after Egypt's ruler denied a request Moses made of him, will be visited upon Cleveland, Oh & the region of the USA known as fly over country. The plagues are a sign from the local g-d that the war which the person the denizens of fly over elected POTUS has displeased the local g-d. The war must be ended at once or other plagues will be visited upon Cleveland, Oh & fly over country until the dense, obdurate denizens of this blighted force their leader, W, to end the war.
Many of the wretched denizens of this blighted region are students of a book called the Bible. It would be a good idea for them to restudy the portion of the Bible which lists the plagues the g-d of Israel visited upon Egypt till Egypt's ruler granted Moses's requests. It will give the wretched denizens of fly over country an idea of the harshness of the plagues which will follow the swarm of bugs over the Jake till the wars W started are ended. The guy upstairs doesn't play when he gets hassled. A shit storm could be next but don't bet on it. There is no telling what the big guy will do next because he is really pissed off at W & the denizens of fly over country.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:49 AM on 10/06/2007
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No, it was a plague on the Yankees. How come Cleveland hasn't seen anything like this until the Yankees came into our town? They brought the pestilence with them. Now they can take it back and we can kick the crap out of them on their home turf one more time to advance in the series.

Little itty bitty bugs that get in the eyes of your precious pampered Yankees won't stop The Indians. I guess that's because our team isn't made up of a bunch of manicured pompous spoiled crybabies like the Yankees.

And check your facts before you let bullshit fly from what's left of your brain onto the keyboard...Cuyahoga County where Cleveland is located is now and always has been solidly Democratic. 93% of the county voted for Kerry in 2004. Our mayor is a Democrat, our city council is all Democratic. It's a union town. It's a liberal town.

But I suppose asking a Yankees fan to use their brain and educate themselves on the facts is too much to ask.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:55 AM on 10/06/2007

Wow.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:34 AM on 10/08/2007
- Bluesman48 I'm a Fan of Bluesman48 11 fans permalink

Did you mean GOD?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:45 AM on 10/06/2007
- larry278 I'm a Fan of larry278 50 fans permalink

Yes, I meant him. It could be that the plague of flies was a message to Boss George but the denizens of flyover country all too often elect Repooplican criminals to office year after year. The Great Spirit could be sending the plague to remind Cleveland fans that the cartoon of a native American of the Cleveland team's uniforms offends him & his people. There is blame enough for everybody. Anybody want to say if the plague is an epidemic or if it's just an endemic condition common in fly over country?
The next meeting of the lords of basball may take up this plague & write a statement for MLB's Commish which will be released to the media.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:40 PM on 10/06/2007
- Uselessboy I'm a Fan of Uselessboy 12 fans permalink

What on earth could those bugs have been?

I lived in the Cleveland area and sailed just offshore the old stadium for years, but I never knew any bug plague other than the May/June "Canadian soldiers" which were mosquito-like bugs that simply landed and expired in great masses.

This sounds like something new.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:41 AM on 10/06/2007
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They were not Canadian Soldiers, those bugs were too small and the CS are more the size of mosquitos. If that would have been a swarm of Canadian Soldiers you wouldn't have been able to see the players on the field.

I live 2 miles from the Jake and three blocks south of the lake, we had some friends over to watch the game & cookout. We brought a TV out on the deck because it was so warm. There weren't any little bugs bothering us. It was weird, must have been the lights of the stadium that drew them all there.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:04 AM on 10/06/2007
- argentino I'm a Fan of argentino 44 fans permalink
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By the way clevelandchick - How many World Championships have the Cleveland Indians won?...I've lost count...LOL

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:34 AM on 10/06/2007

Don't think HuffPost should be saying 'sadly'.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:58 AM on 10/06/2007
- truthyguy I'm a Fan of truthyguy 42 fans permalink

I don't think HuffPo should writing about sports. Or should I say having someone who knows nothing about sports attempting to write about sports.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:44 AM on 10/06/2007
- ohiomark I'm a Fan of ohiomark 127 fans permalink

HuffPo has a whole cast of writers that don't know what they are writing about. That's what makes this site so entertaining.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:37 AM on 10/06/2007

The Wall Street Journal will blame the bugs on midwestern middle class welfare wannabees. But we all know that all the New York City Wall Street trust fund faggots will be sucking their own father's cocks for their rent money when it comes time to pay up their $3000/month for their 400 sqft fag loft. Everyone on the west coast and in the midwest knows that if you live on the east coast, you're a trust fund fag!!!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:53 PM on 10/05/2007

It's 11:30 at night here in C-town and it's hotter than hell. I guess all those people that moved to Arizona can move back pretty soon....as long as they don't mind a few bugs.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:39 PM on 10/05/2007
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