by James Finn Garner
the ledger of the sport that night
quiet and relentless
innings in other parks decided
three outs somehow made
if action here was lagging,
it was hopping somewhere else
and this wide network was tallied
with metal placards
slotted by men in shirtsleeves, sweating, smoking
Chesterfields and Old Golds
as advertised
and checking their watches
B-U-L-O-V-A
when the out-of-town games ended
east coast, then west coast,
the placards were put away
retiring like the faces of fans heading home
just as we would soon do
under the silent watchful eye of
Mr. Scoreboard
Sportsmen’s Park, St. Louis, July 20, 1951.