by Volt
John McGraw
by Michael Ceraolo
No one who had experienced as much death as I had
would ever call baseball a life-or-death matter,
but winning was next-most in importance
And I would do anything to win:
doctor the grounds to favor our team;
scour the rule book for technicalities that favored us
(and scream loudly when other used technicalities against us);
try to sign players like Charlie Grant and William Mathews;
sign reprobates like Donlin and Raymond and Chase,
thinking I could rehabilitate them.
And I apologize for none of it:
we won far more often than not.
Goodbye, Cruel World, It’s Opening Day
by Hart Seely
The gods place bets with loaded dice,
And all our earthly dreams betray,
But listen to one clown’s advice,
Goodbye, cruel world; it’s opening day.
The politicians scrounge for power,
With consequences we shall pay.
But somewhere, it’s our finest hour,
Goodbye, cruel world; it’s opening day.
Our weary age is full of war,
The daily news brings dark dismay,
So surf the dreams worth living for,
Goodbye, cruel world; it’s opening day.
April 9, 1976: Rudy Schaffer, Paul Richards and Chisox owner Bill Veeck ring in Opening Day at Comiskey Park.
Low and Outside #3
by Jim Siergey
Fantasy Baseball Nightmare
by James Finn Garner
Signing up for another hitch
To field a nine to hit and pitch
My squad last year just up and died
Reckless with my baseball pride
Where’s my Mantle off the farm?
My rotation always finds bum arms
And my whizbang keystone pair
Can muster neither clue nor prayer
. In my fog all the stats
. Become an acronym loop
. WHIP, FIP, GO/AO, BABIP–
. Wait, isn’t BABIP Korean soup?
Every morning, I link in,
Despite my trades, always sinking.
Why should I let it get me down?
Someone’s gotta be the Browns.
