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Can You Hear Me Now? Moth Flies into Ear of Cardinals Slugger

St. Louis Cardinals trainer Barry Weinberg, left, looks at the ear of Cardinals left fielder Matt Holliday during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers Monday, Aug. 22, 2011, in St. Louis. Holliday left the game holding his ear. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday had to leave an Aug. 22 game in the eighth inning after a moth flew into his right ear and became lodged in the ear canal.

Holliday rushed off the field in clear pain and tugging at his right ear after the event.

According to www.stltoday.com, a team official who spoke with the Cardinals' trainers said the left fielder was taken into a dark room in hopes that the moth would "seek light" and fly out of the ear on its own. That did not work. A trainer then had to use tweezers to reach deep into Holliday's ear and remove the insect. Team trainer Greg Hauck told a club spokesman that he had had a similar event in the minors. Holliday was not available for comment after the game, and the team official was not sure if Holliday would see a doctor or a specialist to determine if the moth did any damage while wedged inside his ear. The moth was still alive when they removed it from the left fielder's ear. Holliday was said to be feeling fine when he left the ballpark. He took the moth with him.

Holliday's moth experience was not the first time insects have interfered with a Major League Baseball game. Flash back to the October 2007 American League Division Series (ALDS) between the Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees. In the pivotal game two, a swarm of midges descended upon Cleveland's Jacobs Field. The midges seemed particularly attracted to Yankees rookie pitcher Joba Chamberlain. In the eighth inning of that game, the midge swarm was so thick that Chamberlain struggled to pick up his catcher's signals. Clearly distracted by the midges, Chamberlain uncorked a pair of wild pitches which led to the Indians tying the score 1-1. Cleveland eventually won the game 2-1, in 11 innings.

Each spring and fall, Cleveland's lakefront communities are invaded by midges, which only stay five to 10 days. They spawn in the lake when Lake Erie warms to around 60°F and then again in the fall when the lake cools. The 2007 ALDS game was played on an unseasonably warm October evening, which many believe is why the midges were out in full force that night.