Came out of high school, stayed in Texas awhile
Seems he just couldn’t make it all seem worthwhile
He’s movin’ on. He’s movin’ on.
Rangers said “So long son, go enjoy the sun”
He’s Marlin gone.

Minor leagues kept trading, kept cutting him loose
Never was the engine, just a little caboose
Seven years rolled on, they just moved on.
Finally majored a run in 2000 and 1
Would they keep him on?

Another year came and another deal too,
Milwaukee got him in 2002,
He still moved on, he was there and gone.
Led the league in base steals, tried to keep it real,
But they moved him on.

Chicago was home for a few good years
Got a World Series ring, a girl with bunny ears,
He’s carryin’ on, maybe he’ll stay on.
But another year came, and another ball game,
He packed and was gone.

Up in the mountains, till 2009,
Back to bat that year in the White Sox line,
Another movin’ on, another hometown gone.
Even though he had fans, Chicago had other plans
And they let him move on.

One year with the Royals, still stealing some base,
Let him go to the Dodgers, problems slowing his pace.
Trouble movin’ on, released and on his own.
Try up North, play the West, half-a-year at best
So he’s movin’ on.

Finally landed in Philly, more like Lackawanna
Scranton doesn’t really sound like baseball nirvana.
Will he be movin’ on?  Sing that travelin’ song?
Thirteen teams, eighteen years, Hard to change your gears
And keep movin’ on.

CHICAGO WHITE SOX
With the mouth gone to
Sunnier climes, will the Sox
Be hung out to dry?

CLEVELAND INDIANS
“Is Grady injured?”
“Was there a Tuesday last week?”
Michael Brantley’s glad.

DETROIT TIGERS
27 games
Before Brandon Inge returns
To reclaim third base.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS
Those young hitters can’t
Overpower the smell of
Five pieces of meat.

MINNESOTA TWINS
Such a nice ballpark
And such nice people watching
Their nice, boring team.

It’s a funny game, Mazzaro said
As the balls went flying by
They go right by the fielders
I’m sure I don’t know why.

It’s a funny game, Mazzaro said
The ball takes funny hops
The hitters all are in the zone
The inning never stops.

It’s a funny game, Mazzaro said
The manager agreed
Let’s keep him in the game some more
I’m sure he will succeed.
.

How many chances will Melky get
To try and make us forget?

Once a prospect,
Now he’s not.
As leadoff man,
He ain’t so hot.

Where’s the power he used to show?
Where’s the speed?
Why can’t he throw?

K.C. may be the last stop.
When will the penny drop?

CHICAGO WHITE SOX
Will Morel mushroom
into a good third baseman
Or just become waste?

CLEVELAND INDIANS
Um…Jack Hannanan?
In the lineup? At third base?
It’s not April 1.

DETROIT TIGERS
The Tigers, a team
of 25 question marks.
A growl? A meow?

KANSAS CITY ROYALS
Ending up with Jeff
Francoeur…that’s a real bad day
At the rummage sale.

MINNESOTA TWINS
If he keeps winning,
Carl Pavano can look like
A porn star all year.

In honor of broadcaster Mario Impemba who, during the April 12 Tigers broadcast, talked about how Royals skipper Trey Hillman had managed the “Ham Fighters”…

.

Nippon Ham Fighters!
WTF? Americans
Fear Pugnacious Pork.

.

Posted 4/29/10

WHITE SOX
A Putz in the ‘pen,
Another in the dugout,
Not just birds Twitter.
.

INDIANS
No more wedge issues.
It’s time to see just how good
This ballclub can be.
.

TIGERS
A brand new springtime?
Whatchoo talkin’ bout, Willis?
This is your autumn.
.

ROYALS
Inevitable
As tulips and tree pollen,
95 losses.
.

TWINS
Mauer power is
Ensured for many more moons
In the new playpen.

Posted 4/11/2009

.

that first baseball card I saw myself
in a triage of rookies
atop the bodies
that made the hill
we played king of
I am the older one
the one on the right
game-face sincere
long red hair unkempt
a symbol of the ’70s
somehow a sign of manhood
you don’t see
how my knees shook on my debut
or my desperation to make it

the second one I look boyish with a gap-toothed smile
the smile of a guy who has it his way
expects it
I rode the wave’s crest
of pennant and trophies
I sat relaxed with one thought
“I can do this”
you don’t see
me stay up till two
reining in nerves
or post-game hands that shook involuntarily

glory years catch action shots
arm whips and body contortions
a human catapult
the backs of those cards
cite numbers
that tell stories of saves, wins, flags, records
handshakes, butt slaps, celebration mobs
you can’t see
the cost of winning
lines on my forehead under the hat
trench line between my eyes
you don’t see my wife, daughter and son
left behind

the last few cards
I do not smile
I grim-face the camera
tight lipped
no more forced poses to win fans
eyes squint
scanning distance
crow’s-feet turn into eagle’s claws
you don’t see
the quiver in my heart
knowledge that it is over
just playing out the end

I look back
at who I thought I was
or used to be
now, trying to be funny
I tell folks
I used to be famous
I used to be good
they say
we thought you were bigger
I say
I was

.

Published 9/2/2009

At a baseball game, so high up
the birds seem bigger than the players,
bigger than the crowned lion mascot,
and bigger even, than my expectations,
because, you see, I didn’t root, root, root,
for anyone. The Royals sucked and the
Rangers were visitors, so it was
heresy to cheer when they won, which
I think they did, though it’s hard to
remember when all I see, looking back
through the heat, hazy like it is in a
too hot car, is a crowd of people all
trying not to fling themselves onto
the field, so green you could swim
in it, to cool down to the most basic
part of the experience: American History
and the obligation spun from those pages.

For more of Casey’s poetry, check out his blog, Poetry, DUH.

.

Posted 8/4/2009

WHITE SOX
From dawn to midnight
Glistening sweat beads cover
Guillen’s press spokesmen.

TWINS
Sweet April moonlight
Means “farewell” if the Twins are
Without Joe Mauer.

INDIANS
Each cool autumn
Indians fans get just the
Thin end of the Wedge.

ROYALS
Gold Kansas wheatfields
Yield more each season than
Green fields at Kauffmann.

TIGERS
A solar eclipse
Can’t match the disappearance
Of Dontrelle’s control.

Posted 4/1/09