Archive for May, 2011
Phillies 5, Reds 4
by Ember Nickel
A pop-up to Wilson Valdez
To lead off the game, start the top.
A two-run homer in the bottom
Forgotten by the time they’d stop.
The online box preserves its shape:
Room for innings, just one through nine
(What did the real newspapers do?)
One clicks to move along the line.
One needs two clicks to see the start.
Or one to see the reviewed play.
Homer for Bruce, play stands as called–
But Ryan overshadowed Jay
Homering in the bottom half.
The Reds responded, out of kind
Loading up the bases, but
Baserunners proved harder to find
After Valdez’ eleventh-inning
Single. Twelve, thirteen, fourteen, came
And went with zeroes. Hits at last.
But on the linescore, just the same.
Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen. When
To take the risk? No guidebook says
When to bring in Wilson Valdez
Or to take out Danys Baez
Fingers crossed tight for Martinez
Grateful cheers for Raul Ibanez
In the morning, somehow it’s done
And Valdez the unlikely hero
Rises to plateau, one and zero–
While Fisher falls to oh and one.
Ember Nickel likes to play the tenor saxophone, chess, and with the English language. Her website is Lipogram! Scorecard!
May the Blue Jay of Happiness Fly Up Your Nose
by Edmund Conti
Is pitching a sport or an art?
Reyes lost twenty-eight straight
Which isn’t that great
But all in all it’s a start.
.
Prince Albert in a Can
by Stuart Shea
If Albert Pujols is merely mortal,
Who will be our heroic portal?
You may chuckle, you may chortle–
But people need an idol.
No longer great, but merely good,
Ain’t hit like St. Lou thinks he should,
But if free agency comes–it could–
The wave of suitors? Tidal.
Traditions
by Doug Fahrendorff
Dad’s stories of baseball
In the 60′s
Catch in the backyard
Cheering for the same team
Pickup games at the school field
Your own Louisville slugger
Breaking in a new glove
Collecting baseball cards
A visit to the Hall of Fame
Watching “Field of Dreams”
Expectations on opening day
Your team
Winning the pennant
And World Series
The Subway Series #1 (Yankees vs. Mets)
by Stephen Jones
So far so far for now
New York City’s baseball helix
By bat The Yankees won
Necessarily this series 2-to-1
Or did The Mets collapse
A team in need of rebirth
Refocus to rebuild girth
But questions do remain
The Mets? Direction cohesion
An on-rush demonstration
Needed field-and-plate
This season a rebuildment
For all the long ball signature
The Yankees win however
The stats of good pitching
Meaningful future-wise
.
