New York’s greatest manager discusses the one event he wishes he could relive.
Joe Torre, former New York Yankees manager, spoke with Jon Morosi about his life and career on the latest episode of The Road to Cooperstown podcast.
When asked about his worst managerial regret, Torre cited a moment in Game 2 of the 2007 American League Division Series between the Yankees and the Cleveland Indians (now the Guardians).
Torre stated, “It’s easy for me. It’s the game we played in Cleveland when the midges were out. [Joba] Chamberlain was on the mound, and he looked at me and said, ‘I can’t see. I sent Gene Monahan out, and he sprayed them with whatever, and I had no idea at the time that it was like filet mignon to those bugs, because they didn’t leave.
The one thing I regretted not doing because I lacked the courage to do so was to take my squad off the field. I believe that would have been the correct decision because it was simply unfair for this kid to pitch with all of those distractions.”
Torre enjoyed a lot of success with the Yankees during his time there, leading the team to the postseason in each of his twelve seasons. They won six American League pennants and four World Series.
The infamous ‘bug game’ between Yankees and Cleveland
Chamberlain, at 21 years old, with a 0.38 ERA in 19 regular-season outings, striking out 34 batters. He had also demonstrated good control, walking six hitters and throwing one wild pitch in his first 24 major league innings. Cleveland won Game 1 of the ALDS 12-3, but the Yankees led in Game 2 by one run, thanks to a Melky Cabrera homer.
Andy Pettitte pitched the first 6 and 1/3 innings, allowing seven hits. A double and a walk off Pettitte prompted Joe Torre to summon Chamberlain, who got out of the seventh inning by striking out Franklin Gutierrez and retiring Casey Blake on a fly to right field.
However, conditions had changed drastically by the time Chamberlain and the Yankees took the field in the bottom of the ninth. Midges, little flies, had arrived, drawn in by Northeast Ohio’s unusually mild fall temperatures (81 degrees at first pitch). Enjoying the warm evening, a cloud encroached over the dazzling lights of what was then known as Jacobs Field, and they appeared to merge exactly at the pitcher’s mound.
As Derek Jeter whacked the bugs from his shortstop position, mosquito-like insects adhered themselves to Chamberlain’s sweat-streaked face, clouding his vision and crawling into his nose, mouth, and ears. Chamberlain then walked Grady Sizemore and threw a wild pitch. Gene Monahan, the Yankees’ long-time chief athletic trainer, supplied a green bottle of Off! bug spray, which made no impact.
A sacrifice bunt put Sizemore to third, and after getting Travis Hafner to line out, Chamberlain threw another wild pitch, scoring the run. He next hit Victor Martinez and walked Ryan Garko before ending the inning with a strikeout.
The Yankees’ advantage was gone, and the game went into extra innings, won in the 11th by Hafner’s walk-off single against Luis Vizcaino.
Cleveland won the series in four games, but lost the ALCS to the Red Sox, the eventual World Series champions.
