by Fred Lovato
Shohei steals a base
his hundredth in MLB
trumps all other news
The Tycoon
by Ogden Nash
The business life of Mr. Musial
is, to say the least, unusual.
First base, outfield, restaurant, bank,
All are home to Stanley Frank.
One moment, slugger of lethal liners,
The next, mine host to hungry diners,
And, between the slugging and the greeting,
To the bank for a directors’ meeting.
Yet no one grudges success to Stan,
Good citizen and family man,
Though I would love to have his job…
One half tycoon, one half Ty Cobb.
Nash with Dagmar on the TV show Masquerade Party, 1955.
Tell All the Stats but Tell them Slant
by Dr. Rajesh C. Oza
In honor of Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886. In 1887, the first Negro League was formed.
Tell all the stats but tell them slant —
Success in the baseball Circuit lies
Too bright for our unconscious bias
The Truth’s superb surprise is
Like a ball hit lightening quick
With Josh Gibson atop
Ty Cobb’s dazzling batting record
Or every fan be blind —
Josh Gibson
by Michael Ceraolo
Let’s get this out of the way first:
I didn’t die of a broken heart
at disappointment over not being first
instead of Jackie;
I had other health issues
that killed me at thirty-five
I’m glad our leagues have now
been recognized as ‘major’,
and I’m happy statistics have been compiled:
those who won’t believe without numbers
now have the documentation they need
And I like that the numbers have confirmed
some of the legends about me
I take pride in being the best RBI man
in history on a per-game basis.
A repost from August 8, 2023
Handle with Care
by James Finn Garner
A foul tip off the bat of Cub Happ
Made a trip into Iván Herrera’s lap
He wasn’t maimed
Even finished the game
Though later his pips were bubble wrapped.
