Unseen Effects of Unwritten Rules

by James Finn Garner

The unwritten rules in their dusty tomes
Are never long without a home
Consulted when game etiquette
Might require subtle signs of respect

Like when a throwback managerial cuss
Throws his rookie star under a bus
When he was only doing his job
Smashing a slow-motion lob

Whoever’s “clueless” here can be debated
And the Chisox success isn’t fated
The unwritten rules do not deem
To show how you alienate a team.

 

North Side Jekyll & Hyde

by James Finn Garner

This Cubs team elicits some frights
Swinging like scrubs, punchless some nights
Then, as if dosed,
Brute strength is exposed
Who knows which will show up tonight?

Two-Faced Treachery: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - The American Society of Cinematographers

Red Barber in the Bowl

by Stuart Shea

From the Cincinnati Times-Star, 1937, on announcer Red Barber’s consistent hawking of Wheaties cereal:

Red Barber has charm and he shows it,
And over the air he sure throws it–
But with all his entreaties
To munch those damned Wheaties
He eats ham and eggs and he knows it!

 

Harry M. Stevens

by Michael Ceraolo

I wasn’t the first to sell food at a ball game:
I think they were doing that even before
anyone thought to charge admission to watch the game
I wasn’t the first to sell what came to be called hot dogs,
though the legend of my doing so made a good story
But I think I was the first
to make a good living as a concessionaire,
starting out selling scorecards, then later also selling food
And I’m proud of the enjoyment I gave fans,
and equally proud my company continued to do so
well beyond the end of my life

Harry M. Stevens Created the Modern Ballpark Experience

MLB All-Yule Team

By James Finn Garner and Jim Siergey

1B   J.T. Snow
2B   Cupid Childs
SS   Dasher Troy
3B   Yuli Gurriel

LF   Cookie Rojas
CF   Jesus Alou
RF   Rob Deer

C     Jorge Posada

PH  Steve Christmas, Brett Carroll

RHP Jon Garland, Dave Frost, Dick Pole
LHP Al Clauss, Jeff Holly, Don Rudolph

Mgr.  Jolly Cholly Grimm