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Bag of Tricks

by James Finn Garner

RIP Octavio Dotel (1973-2025), who died last week after a roof collapsed at a concert he was attending in Santo Domingo, DR.

New York. Houston. Oakland.
When they called
New York Yankees.
(and they kept calling)
Kansas City. Atlanta. Chicago.
I picked up my stuff and left.

Pittsburgh. LA. Denver.
(they still kept calling)
Toronto. St. Louis. Detroit.
My bag of tricks.

By the last season
someone guessed I’d played
with 25 percent of the active players
One out of every four
A lot of friends
Maybe some enemies?
A lot of stops
A lot of life

¡Salud!

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Fire Cats

by James Finn Garner

Somebody let the Tigers get hot
No one told Houston the plot
AJ Hinch gave his old squad a swat
Somebody let the Tigers get hot

Now Cleveland’s about to get taught
The summer games might come to naught
Somebody let the Tigers get hot

Whatever team comes down the slot
They still lose when they’ve shot their shot
Somebody let the Tigers get hot

Are these rookies aware what they’ve got?
Any need for vets they forgot
Playing with Red Bull, courage and snot
Youthful spirit means quite a lot
Call them “Tigertown Tots”
And they’ll tie your tongue in a knot
What hath the Ilitches wrought?
Somebody let the Tigers get hot.

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Opening Weekend

by Stephen Jones

The Yankees swept the Astros
Thanks in part to Juan Soto
And his late-inning heroics.

I know, I know: one weekend
Doesn’t make a whole season,
But there are smiles in the Bronx.