Spring Injury Report, 2011

by James Finn Garner

Zach Grienke’s arm is hinky.
Jake Peavy’s feeling skeevy.
Adam Wainwright’s wing ain’t right.
Rich Harden’s asked for pardon.
Brad Lidge is off a smidge.
That goes ditto for Johnny Cueto.

And an inflamed elbow is causing
Pain for Jason Isringhausen.

Thank God for March,
So these great apes
Have one less month
To fall out of shape.

Oakland A’s: The Bedtime Prayer

by Hart Seely

O, God, thy glories doth amaze,
Thy sunlight fills our autumn days,
We gain upon Thy Tampa Rays,
We thank Thee for thine Oakland A’s.

They represent Thy kingly ways,
And smite the ball to double plays,
More holy than Toronto Jays,
God speed thy team… O, Oakland A’s!

And so, to Thee, we offer praise,
For harvesting these wondrous lays,
No Variteks, no Jason Bays,
Return again… O, Oakland A’s.

Hart Seely runs the indispensable Yankee blog, It is High, It is Far, It is … Caught.

Posted 9/6/10

American League West 2010 Haiku Forecasts

By Stuart Shea

ANGELS
Rich Latino woos
White fans who usually hire
Latino workmen.

ATHLETICS
Moneyball’s sunset
Means the lineup now includes
Kevin Kouzmanoff.

MARINERS
Hey, Jack Z….that nut
That fell off the hitting tree?
He’s your problem now.

RANGERS
Sweet spring robins’ song
May sound suspiciously like
“Neftali Feliz.”

.

Posted 4/20/2010

10/4/87

By Stuart Shea

There was a big game going on in Detroit
To decide the Eastern division champ
But my brother and I were at Comiskey
Where despite the October sunshine
The atmosphere was damp.

I was 24 but even then had an overarching sense
of melancholy.
The last game of a mediocre season?
Perfect fit for me.

The Sox beat the Athletics 5-2.
No big deal; neither team
Was going anywhere but home.

One reason we went is that we knew it would be Reggie Jackson’s last game ever.
So we alternately cheered and booed him.
He got two hits.

When the game ended
Ozzie Guillen threw his glove high in the air
And I hoped that it would never come down.

.

Posted 10/21/2009

AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST 2009 HAIKU FORECASTS

By Stuart Shea

ANGELS
Without its K-Rod,
Sun-dappled Orange County
Prepares for a fight.

ATHLETICS
Green-and-gold adorned
Athletes play in stadia
Named for software.

RANGERS
In football country,
The titans of summer’s game
Proceed unnoticed.

MARINERS
Tho Junior returns,
Creaky knees and failing sight,
The M’s will blow chunks.

.

Posted 4/3/09