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Maddon’s Madness

by Hilary Barta

A pitcher’s job is never done.
When out in left they’ve gotta run
And make a catch against the wall.
Don’t tell me baseball ain’t a ball.

And in a pinch they also hit,
And do the perfect squeeze-play bit.
Joe Maddon thinks outside the box,
His tactics hardly orthodox.

 
Cubs’ try-anything manager Joe Maddon has been at it again. On July 31, pitcher Travis Wood hurled the sixth inning in relief, and Maddon kept him in the game as the left fielder, where he made a sensational catch in the seventh, banging against the wall and the ivy in Wrigley Field. In the twelfth, Maddon had pitcher Jon Lester pinch hit, and Lester laid down a perfect squeeze bunt to bring in the winning run.

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All Hail Ichiro

by James Finn Garner

So many long years ago
Ichiro
Began spraying hits
And if it seems like it’s
Going to go on forever
(I mean, it never
Looks like he ages),
Remember the pages
Of record holders
Left to molder
When a young stud
Both lucky and good
Works to set a new mark
At the ball park.
In time a new hero
Will surpass Ichiro,
And the passage of time
Cruel and sublime
Will lose some of its sting
As we salute a new king.

 

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First Love

by Debbie McLeod

O Mariners! I am about
To lose all hope in you.
Longest active post-season drought?
It makes me feel so blue.

But — my heart took a journey
Up to heaven with Ernie,
And my Cubs dreams may finally come true!

 

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American League West 2015 Spring Training Haiku

By Stuart Shea

Astros
Unpronounceable,
The Opening Day starter—
It’s Dallas Keuchel!

Angels
The favorite son—
Prodigal again errant—
Setting in the West

Athletics
Old southpaws don’t die
Until they’ve had a chance to
Make the A’s roster

Mariners
A strong-armed fellow
Will bear the expectations
Of the great northwest

Rangers
A once-proud franchise
Sliding down the Banister,
Into pool or pile?

 

 

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Regular Season Post-Mortem, or a Toast to Stories Departed

By Stuart Shea

10 Teams Continue,
20 Teams Done.
Stories we have followed
Now consigned to history–
Into the pages of a book
That has been replaced by a web site.

Jose Abreu’s rookie season is over.
Corey Kluber’s ass-kicking year is over.
Phillip Hughes’ breakout is over.
Charlie Blackmon’s beard is over.
Kirk Gibson is VERY over.
But the damage done by Kevin Towers’ trades is just beginning.
Altuve’s wonderful year is over.
The Rangers’ long march of injuries is over…
But the Wash Era is also over.

Everth Cabrera’s honeymoon is over.
Marcus Stroman’s debut is over.
The painful Jay Bruce year is over.
Brock Holt Mania! is over.
Another King Felix masterwork is over.
Giancarlo’s monster season is over.
Jonathan Lucroy’s emergence is over.
The Braves’ painful swan dive is over.
Mesoraco’s breakout is over.
The struggles of Springer are over.
The weird Joe Mauer year is over.
Justin Smoak’s chance is over.
Another frustrating Rockies season is over.
The Chase Headley Padres are over.
The Papelbon crap is over,
But the Phillies’ country club continues.

The Frank Wren Era is over.
Colby Rasmus in Toronto is REALLY over.
Desmond Jennings’ honeymoon is over.
Heath Bell seems over.
The Cubs on WGN are over.
Bobby Abreu is over.
Josh Willingham is over.
Carlos Beltran sure looks over.
Can Kevin Gregg please be over?
Jason Giambi is finally over, right?
The 2013 World Champs are really over.
Is Ron Roenicke’s time over?
The Mets’ sexual harassment suit is NOT over.
Wrigley Field as we knew it is over.
Paul Konerko is over.
Derek Jeter is over.
20 Teams are over.