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Farewell…

By Stuart Shea

Farewell, Buehrle,
Never surly,
Perfect game and Series ring.
Sox fans wish you everything.

Huddy, boy, you’ll be missed,
South and north, east and wist.
Auburn, Atlanta, by the Bay,
222 wins ain’t hay.

Jeremy Affeldt said goodbye,
Left the field and maybe cried.
Made some cash, answered the bell,
Made himself some friends as well.

Aramis Ramirez
Hopes for a Seriez.
He’s played a lot of ball,
But not much in the fall.

A.J. Burnett wants the same:
Play more than one October game.
And yes, he really cares
To play a role for the Corsairs.

And who else out there will call it quits
When the uni or job no longer fits?
Or the outright release came?
Who’s played his last game?

Barry Zito? Dan Haren?
A-Rod, Colon, or Beltran?
Latroy Hawkins, Betancourt,
Or some other old man?

 

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One Fine Day

by the Village Elliott

For Hank Gowdy

Gee Golly, Boy Howdy,
I just met Hank Gowdy,
Great War hero and World Series star,
Was a Miracle Brave,
Till he joined in first wave,
First pro swap unis, march off to war.
In left field today sit,
With my dad and my mitt,
Can’t imagine a day could be finer,
Till I heard the bat crack,
Heard crowd roar, “Back . . . back . . . back . . .”
I caught home run hit by Ralph Kiner.

I was barely a teen,
Caught betwixt and between,
But grew up to accumulate stuff.
Still my Great Legacy:
Photo: Hank, Bro and me,
One fine day below old Coogan’s Bluff.

 

The VE explains:  “In July, Dick Volk showed me a photo of himself as a young teenager. It was taken at the Polo Grounds in 1948, and included his older brother, posing with 53-year-old New York Giants coach Hank Gowdy. It was another era. In fact, it is exactly 100 years since Hank led the Boston Braves upset sweep of Connie Mack’s ‘White Elephants’, three years before he became the first Major Leaguer to enlist for WWI. My friend met Hank three years after Hank mustered out a second time, having re-upped as an Army physical education instructor for the duration.”

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Astros 15, Yankees 1

by Stephen Jones

In the beginning . . . of this baseball history,
Yankee Ivan Nova–he was not so super–
Got burned by Houston’s big bang theory.
Others followed–they couldn’t stop it either.

The Astros’ rain of runs, a meteor shower
Of them, had done in the old Pinstripers.

 

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Dog Days’ Road Trips

by the Village Elliott

Now the dog days of summer are here,
When the sun’s heat is hottest all year.
Risin’ on horizon,
Dog Star near Orion
Adds its own heat as it hovers near.

Now the dog days of summer are here,
Jints’ two hottest road trips this year,
Texas, then Chicago,
Post-Atlanta, they go;
Home, then St. Louis, Pittsburgh appear.

During Dog Days it’s brutally clear,
These two trips can define Giants’ year;
If they wish to repeat,
Have to deal with the heat
To end month in first place, at least near.

Just as Truman’s election made clear,
Dog Days’ trips can define one’s whole year.
Jints, like Harry, repeat
‘Cause they can stand the heat,
And like champions will persevere.

 

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If I Could Change (the All-Star Game)

by the Village Elliott

If I could change the All-Star Game,
I’d change how I chose All-Star team.
I’d choose again All-Stars from when
First penciled my name in my dream:

If I could change the All-Star Game,
Would be announced by Dizzy Dean.
He pitched on those still-broken toes,
And knows what All-Star Game could mean.

If I could change the All-Star Game,
I believe I’d start Carl Hubbell,
Then Babe Ruth, next Lou, “Double-X”,
Simmons, Cronin — ain’t no trouble.

If I could change the All-Star Game,
I’d choose “Old Red Head”, Stan “the Man,”
For extra inning- roommates’ winning-
Home runs, as we’ve seen they both can.

If I could change the All-Star Game,
I’d say: “Say Hey, hey, lets play two!
Show NL’s pride to other side;
Two All-Star Games, both made for you.”

If I could change the All-Star Game,
I’d pick Reginald Martinez.
With his power, hits light tower.
“He slugged it like Roy Hobbs,” Diz sez.

If I could change the All-Star Game,
I’d choose my angel, Freddie Lynn.
With three on, wham, hits lone grand slam,
To Atlee Hammaker’s chagrin.

If I could change the All-Star Game,
For my final contribution,
Again play game for pride and fame,
Not World Series distribution.