Drenched
by Wayne Burke
5 a.m. chiaroscuro of clouds
dark & light
like day & night
like right and wrong
I climb over the
seat into the back
of the car when
we reach Buddy’s.
“Who is that, Al?” Buddy asks
as he sits, pumpkin-sized head
in silhouette.
I am shadow
on vinyl:
the hum of the engine soothes
like a lullaby.
In Pittsfield a bottle is found
under a seat.
Rain beats on the roof
like knuckles;
the great city, people, buildings, Yankee Stadium
drenched, the crown immense.
Maris hits one out
to right;
a big man in the grandstand catches
a foul ball in his bare hand and
stands like the Statue of Liberty.
After the game is called
we leave:
On the ride home Buddy and
Uncle Al joke, laugh
smoke cigarettes
as I
in the back
become more
invisible
each mile.
Goodbye, Cruel World, It’s Opening Day
by Hart Seely
The gods place bets with loaded dice,
And all our earthly dreams betray,
But listen to one clown’s advice,
Goodbye, cruel world; it’s opening day.
The politicians scrounge for power,
With consequences we shall pay.
But somewhere, it’s our finest hour,
Goodbye, cruel world; it’s opening day.
Our weary age is full of war,
The daily news brings dark dismay,
So surf the dreams worth living for,
Goodbye, cruel world; it’s opening day.
April 9, 1976: Rudy Schaffer, Paul Richards and Chisox owner Bill Veeck ring in Opening Day at Comiskey Park.
Respectable People
By Old Hoss Radbourn
No use in blinking
at the fact
that at that time the game was thought,
by respectable people,
to be only one degree above
grand larceny,
arson,
mayhem
and those who engaged in it were
beneath notice of
decent society.
Thanks to Jim Koenigsberger @Jimfrombaseball.
MLB All-Counties-of-Ireland Team
1BÂ Â Wayne Tyrone
2BÂ Â Cavan Biggio
SSÂ Â Bunny Downs
3BÂ Â Jeter Downs
LFÂ Â Shane Mona[g]han
CFÂ Â Kerry Dineen
RFÂ Â Russ Derry
CÂ Â Â Corky Miller
LHPÂ Mike Kilkenny
RHPÂ Kerry Wood, Kerry Ligtenberg, Kerry Lacy, Kerry Taylor
MGRÂ Â Mayo Smith
Owner Tom Monaghan