Pastime

by Casey Hannan

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.

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Posted 8/4/2009

Twin Killing

By Stuart Shea

When they finally knock down the Metrodome,
And the Twins move to their new outdoor home,
Will fielders lose balls in the sun and goof,
The way they did in the Teflon roof?

Published 7/22/09

A New Legacy I Could Believe In

by Sid Yiddish

Legend has it, that in Chicago there are two winning baseball teams.

Ha!

I’d like to believe that one, although the die-hard fans would argue this point for days, weeks, months and years, but I just don’t have time to listen to all the ups & downs, the theories, the conspiracies and all those “what ifs.”

What if the Cubs won the World Series?
What if the White Sox won another World Series within three years?
What if baseball fans in this town rooted for another team altogether and just gave up on the Cubs and White Sox?

What if by some miraculous circumstance, the Cubs and White Sox found some leadership, corralled all of their players together, organized a mentoring program for those of them, not in-the-know and brought them into the fold of knowing and understanding what the game of baseball in Chicago means to fans like me?

Now, that’s a new legacy I could believe in.

Published 7/15/09

A Twins Fan Meditates on the ’09 Twins-Yanks Season Series

By Kevin Hennessy

Four-game sweep at New Yankee Stadium
With two less walkoffs, we could have took two of ‘em;
Then swept three games at home in the dome
Maybe next year outside we might manage to win one.

A-Rod, Jeter, Teixiera, Cano
They all make it tough, no denying, I know.
But Cabrera, Gardner, Cervelli, and Coke–
Are these really Yankees, or regular blokes?

Gardenhire insists
There’s no mental angle,
But if that truly is so
Couldn’t one win be finagled?

Perhaps those Bronx Bombers inspire intimidation
And Mauer and Morneau alone can’t deny them
Losing all seven certainly wasn’t too great
But at least we can be grateful we aren’t playing eight.

Published 7/12/09