Reviving the Art of Baseball Doggerel
The Kenes/Judge first-inning showcase
Was anticipated,
And both the fans and commentators
Were elated
When — bells ringing — it occurred.
But it was a bit of a letdown:
No fireworks — an HR or strikeout —
When the Judge grounded out to third …
And then it was all over too soon.
That cinnamon voice
Ricocheting in the clubhouse
Keeping things loose
On the bench
And in the bleachers
No matter the score
Mays’ cinnamon spirit
Sprinkled on summer’s
Long afternoons
Les Keiter on WINS
Me with the transistor
San Francisco an eternity away
You never left
I wouldn’t let you
The Giants fled
I stayed
Your cap flying off
Still
Paul Kocak is the author of Chasing Willie Mays: Chronicles of a Fan Left Behind.
“I can’t believe it,”
said Hall of Famer Willie Mays.
“I never thought I’d see
in my lifetime
a Major League Baseball game
being played on the very field
where I played baseball as a teenager.
It has been 75 years
since I played for the
Birmingham Black Barons
at Rickwood Field…
To learn that my Giants
and the Cardinals will play
a game there and honor
the legacy of the Negro Leagues…
is really emotional for me.
We can’t forget
what got us here
and that was
the Negro Leagues
for so many of us.”
Willie Mays quoted by Bob Nightengale about the MLB game at Birmingham’s historic Rickwood Field to be played on June 20, 2024 (USA Today, June 20, 2023)
Dr. Oza’s novel Double Play sits at the intersection of Ernie Banks’ Cubs, the Negro Leagues, riding the “L,” wrongful convictions, immigration and friendship. It will be published in October 2024 by Chicago’s Third World Press.
Difference between
the old ballplayer
and
the new ballplayer
is
the jersey.
The old ballplayer
cared about
the name on the front.
The new ballplayer
cares about
the name on the back.
Here’s something that freaks me
More than just slightly—
Bob Uecker is ninety!
At an age when few people
Are vivid or lively,
Bob Uecker is ninety!
“I must be in the front rooooow…”