Bugs should not decide the result of a baseball playoff game.
With a cloud of bugs reminicent of a biblical plague harrying his face, eyes, nose and mouth, Joba Chamberlain, relief pitcher for the New York Yankees, threw a wild pitch that allowed the tying run in the Eighth inning of the second game of the Yankees-Indians ALDS series. The game went to eleven innings where the Indians eventually won the game.
The umpires should have stopped the game before the wild pitch and not allowed it to continue until the insect infestation had stopped. I am not suggesting anything that is new. I recall games that umpires halted due to excessive wind where the wind was causing dust to be blown into players eyes. That was less disruptive than the insects were in tonights game. The insects were completely visible via the telecast in the air and on the players faces and bodies. Players were waving their hands in the air at the insects and shaking their heads to attempt to get relief. Several times, the trainers for the teams were called out in a vain attempt to improve the situation by applying insect repellant to the players. These are not the conditions in which to play a game.
Without the insects, Joba shuts down the Indians in the Eighth inning, Rivera comes in in the ninth inning as he did and closes it out. Joba threw only one wild pitch in the entire regular season and is known for his control. In the seventh inning, before the insects became a problem, Joba Chamberlain had completely silenced the Indian hitters. The Yankees should protest the game. Insects should not be the determining factor in a baseball playoff game.
Steven Leser specializes in Politics, Science & Health, and Entertainment topics. He has held positions within the Democratic Party including District Chair and Public Relations Chair within county organizations.
Steven Leser writes for www.opednews.com, an internet only media site that has grown to become one of the highest traffic news sites in America, reaching more traffic, according to alexa.com, than all but the thirty largest daily newspapers in the US. Mr. Leser is one of the 500+ liberal pundits who, each month, are published in what has become one of the top five Liberal/progressive media sites in the US.
this has to be one of the most ridiculous things i've ever read. You make it seem like the insects sought out only Yankees. Beleive it or not, The Indians players were at the same location and faced the same situation as the New York players. The best team in Major League Baseball won the game, bugs or no bugs.
by
linux one (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 13 comments)
on Friday, October 5, 2007 at 9:46:55 PM
According to the associated press, a game was suspended in Cleveland in September of 2004 during another instance when the insects were particularly annoying. See this
So, no, it isnt ridiculous. Of course it affected both teams. Had the Yankees men on third in the Eighth or Ninth innings, chances are you would have seen a similar result.
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Steven Leser (211 articles, 44 quicklinks, 33 diaries, 1387 comments)
on Friday, October 5, 2007 at 9:51:12 PM
That's fine. An Indians game was postponed for the same reason in the 1940's. I understand your point. The reason I find the article ridiculous is because the Yankees were not "robbed" of anything. It seems Fausto Carmona and the Cleveland Indians were able to handle the situation better than the Yankees. Chamberlain and the Yankees simply melted down under pressure and Carmona and the Indians kept their composure and didn't lose control. Again, the better team walked away with a victory, fair and square, no robberies in c-town.
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linux one (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 13 comments)
on Friday, October 5, 2007 at 11:42:54 PM
Its amazing how you can actually type such garbage. The bugs produced the only run for the Indians in over ten innings! The better team? They couldnt score! That is the true joke. As I said to your fellow fan, this will all be settled once the video hits YouTube. Then people will wonder how people like you could even argue this.
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Steven Leser (211 articles, 44 quicklinks, 33 diaries, 1387 comments)
on Friday, October 5, 2007 at 11:49:19 PM
thats right, the better team. The Cleveland Indians were tied with the Boston Red Sox as the best team in major league basball. The Cleveland Indians are the better team. And bugs didn't score any runs; Grady Sizemore scored a run when Joba Chamberlain failed to control his pitching. I don't understand how you can blame bugs when Fausto Carmona took the mound in the next inning and totally shut down the Yankee offense (in the presence of the exact same "bug cloud"). The Indians posted a dozen in game one, shut down the yankee offense in game two, and are a heavy favorite to win the series. Come on now, Yankee pitching so far has given up 7.5 runs/game vs. Cleveland's 2 runs/game. I understand the bugs are a convenient excuse. Maybe Joba Chamberlain can learn a thing or two from watching how Fausto Carmona handles adversity.
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linux one (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 13 comments)
on Saturday, October 6, 2007 at 12:11:17 AM
Of course I didn't address the youtube comment because it's irrelevent. Youtube.com is not a deciding factor in Major LeagueBaseball games. And besides, I don't need youtube.com to see the footage. I own a television and the high definition picture is a bit sharper than the youtube video. Cleveland did in fact win game two of the 2007 ALDS. When Major League Baseball officials start overturning Yankee games due to youtube videos, you've got a valid point. To be honest, you just sound like a bitter fan making excuses. Bottom line is, Cleveland did win that game, just check this site: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/ps/y2007/boxscore.jsp?gid=2007_10_05_nyamlb_clemlb_1
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linux one (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 13 comments)
on Saturday, October 6, 2007 at 12:28:36 AM
Its amazing how you can actually type such garbage. The bugs produced the only run for the Indians in over ten innings! The better team? They couldnt score!
Neither could the yankees. At that point there was no better team. The determination of the better team is at the end of the box score. Look very carefullyat the numbers in the hit and run columns. The yankees had 3 hits.
That is the true joke. As I said to your fellow fan, this will all be settled once the video hits YouTube. Then people will wonder how people like you could even argue this.
Youtube? That is the true joke! The Indians were in the same elements as the yanks. The only difference is that the tribe kept their composure like true pros and the yankees lost their focusand couldn't handle it. Blame bugs on only getting 3 hits
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Dan Keene (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 19 comments)
on Saturday, October 6, 2007 at 1:38:30 AM
but the jist of every one of those article clearly names the indians as the victor.
Link all of the aticles who state that the Ny club got a raw deal. Environmental factors hit both teams the same. somebody had to lose, and it was the yankees
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Dan Keene (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 19 comments)
on Saturday, October 6, 2007 at 2:55:33 AM
Wow......my friend predicted this as soon as Choke Chamberlain self-immolated.
Self immolated? He came in in the seventh inning with the Indians threatening and he shut them down. He came in in the eighth with no one on base and was obviously distracted by a thick cloud of bugs. What about that is self immolating? Of course your friend predicted it because it was obvious. And when the Youtube video gets out showing everyone how bad it was, it will be obvious to everyone that the umps should have suspended the game.
That's the best you have? Bugs?
As I said earlier, other games in Cleveland have been suspended due to this. And again, when everyone sees the video of how bad it was, no one will be surprised that Yankees fans are upset.
How about the fact that Fausto Carmona pitched a hell of a game, the Yankees bullpen stinks, and A-Rod once again whiffed in the playoffs?
And how about the fact that through 10 innings, the only run that the Indians scored was due to walks and wild pitches in the Eighth inning that only came about because a pitcher who is known for exquisite control was unable to pitch through a hail of insects flying into his eyes and mouth. And the video will be out. Everyone will see it. What will you say then?
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Steven Leser (211 articles, 44 quicklinks, 33 diaries, 1387 comments)
on Friday, October 5, 2007 at 11:46:26 PM
The Indians didnt win anything. I put this in a similar category as an athlete that takes performance enhancing drugs to win something. You can call it a win if you like. You are right, in my universe, these types of things aren't wins. See my recap below.
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Steven Leser (211 articles, 44 quicklinks, 33 diaries, 1387 comments)
on Saturday, October 6, 2007 at 1:50:08 AM
