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Classic Falls

by Rajesh C. Oza

The Cubs of 1969:
A season with Hall of Famers,
But an ending not at all divine.

The Indians of 2005:
Chicago’s Pale Hose swept them
Like a beekeeper a beehive.

The Red Sox of 1978:
Bucky Bleepin’ Dent
Kept them from playoff’s gate.

The Blue Jays of 1987:
Many Canadians still mourn
Missing out on baseball’s heaven.

The Phillies of 1964:
“The Phold” phirmly closed
Access to the Fall Classic’s door.

Dr. Oza is a management consultant and facilitates the interpersonal dynamics of MBAs at Stanford University. His novel, Double Play, will be published in 2024 by Chicago’s Third World Press.

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‘23 is the New ‘69

by Greg Simetz

A Billy goat, black cat, and Bartman with headphones–
Just a few novel ways which Cubs’ seasons have been blown.
Add the Babe’s called shot to the centerfield stands
And a Gatorade glove on Leon Durham’s right hand.

Then in 2016 Cubs’ curses got squished,
108 years of agony all mercifully vanquished.
But curses! A new scourge unleashed in late ‘23
Thwarted hot pursuit of wild-card playoff glory.

Blown saves and gaffes and bats that went dry,
Then Seiya Suzuki misjudged a routine high fly.
(One solution to the team’s most recent imbroglio:
Trade Suzuki to the Cards for pitcher Ernie Broglio.)

So another year ends with a historic choke job,
A lousy ‘69 rerun, where again fans got robbed.
The looney toons finish was just one more sad joke.
What else can be said but, “Th-th-th-th-that’s all folks!”

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Even Sadder

by Mikhail Horowitz

These are the saddest of possible words:
Steinfeldt to Evers to Chance.
Trio of bear cubs fleeter than birds,
Steinfeldt to Evers to Chance.

One of them nearly completely forgotten,
Simply because of a name that was not in
Accordance with metrical elegance — rotten!
Steinfeldt to Evers to Chance.

Mikhail Horowitz is an American poet, performance poet, parodist, satirist, social commentator, author and editor. He lives in the Hudson River valley.

 

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The Invisible Visibles

By Rajesh Oza

Giants fans love their M&Ms.

Mays and McCovey:
Willie and Willie
Hit a combined 1,181 home runs.

Marichal and Mathewson:
Juan and Christy
Won a combined 616 games.

Madison and Matt:
Bumgarner and Cain
Led the team to three World Series.

But there is an M&M who never
Hit a homer,
Pitched an inning,
Or won a World Series game.

For 65 years Mike Murphy never
Had his name in a lineup,
Had his name on a baseball card,
Had his name balloted for the Hall of Fame.

But like San Francisco’s fog, Murph was always
In plain sight,
Serving first as a batboy,
And then as the Giants’ clubhouse manager.

Better than most, Murph understands that
Baseball’s Invisible Visibles
Make the game move over a season,
Mark the game’s evolution over decades.

Mike Murphy Makes History as S.F. Giants Hall of Fame Inductee