Sometimes you'll see a pitcher swat a hand at a bug, or a hitter step out of the box because some insect has just flown into his eye. But on Friday night, the midges or flying ants or whatever you want to call them were so thick that they layered on the back of Joba Chamberlain's neck. E-mailed some folks in the game to ask whether they've ever seen an insect arrival like we saw Friday night. Some of the responses:
From John Smoltz: "There have been times when bugs have been part of the game but never like last night. This tested the ultimate concentration. At a time when the pressure was at its greatest I really thought they might stop the game. As a fan I was really interested in seeing how it would affect the game and was impressed how everyone did."
Pat Neshek: "Actually, I've seen this only one other time. Class AA, 2005, Binghamton, N.Y. We were invaded by little white mayflies. They were everywhere. After the game we got on the bus and thousands somehow made their way onto the bus with the door only opened to let players on. It was a miserable day."