by Millie Bovich
In baseball news, I’ve got a hunch
That the Tigers will finish first, that bunch.
Mistakes of the past
They will remedy fast
And there’s no more saying, “They’re out to lunch!”
Baseball Is
by Ernie Harwell
Baseball
is the president tossing out the first ball of the season
and a scrubby schoolboy playing catch with his dad on a Mississippi farm.
A tall, thin old man waving a scorecard from the corner of his dugout.
That’s baseball.
Thanks to the always fascinating Twitter account of Jim Koenigsberger (@jimfrombaseball).
Bill Monbouquette
by Jim Siergey
Bill Monbouquette
Needed no sobriquet
For a name with such musical flow
But Bill Monbouquette
A sobriquet did get
His teammates all called him “Monbo”
Did Bill Monbouquette
Ever regret
That his name went on forevermore?
Because Monbouquette
Was shortened more yet
As M’b’q’t’e in the daily box score.
AL Central 2023 Spring Training Forecast Haiku
By Stuart Shea
Chicago White Sox
Best to seek new park
Before taking the field with
A terrible team.
Cleveland Guardians
An empty cave, just
Like the Guardians’ lineup,
Hasn’t any bats.
Detroit Tigers
Actual prospects,
Bringing April to those who
Want to hope again.
Kansas City Royals
Tethered by contract,
Regardless of performance—
To Witt: 11 years.
Minnesota Twins
By the river live
Siblings united by love
For their baseballists.
Hank Greenberg
by Michael Ceraolo
I was anything but a natural athlete:
it took a lot of hard work to get to the big leagues,
a lot of hard work to stay there,
and a lot of hard work to have the success I had
And there was a whole new set of pressures:
to play on the High Holy Days or not?
After consulting with a rabbi,
I played on Rosh Hashanah but not on Yom Kippur
I remember the pressure I felt because of my religion,
from those who wanted me to succeed and from those who didn’t,
especially when I was chasing the Babe
I remember the ethnic slurs I received
from opponents, fans, and even the occasional teammate,
well beyond what anyone til then had to endure
And with all that I’m sure
it didn’t compare to what Jackie had to endure
Jackie had some nice things to say about me,
and I hope I lived up to them
