3 Haiku

by Jeff Fleming

I wish the Cubs had
Ichiro Starting in Right
Instead of Jacques Jones.

The Wooden Elbow
Continues to be creaky–
For godsakes, just pitch!

Documentary
About Barry Bonds’ Seventy-Third:
LitigationBall.

Posted 6/15/07

Barry Bonds #12

by Lou Carlozo

Despite Barry Bonds’ many homers,
It appears that his body’s a loaner,

For his steroid technique
Birthed an android’s physique:

An aluminum bat for a boner.

Dome for the Deranged

By Dean Weflen

O give us a home
Where no buffalo roam
Under tarp by the baggie we play,
Where echos are heard
While Punto’s at third,
And at first hear JM say, “Eh.”

Dome, Dome for the deranged,
Why ever play baseball outside?
Fly balls disappear,
and hit speakers we fear.
Those carpet burns sure hurt when you slide.

Published 6/14/07

The Saga of Battlin’ Mike Barrett

by James Finn Garner

This is the saga of Battlin’ Mike Barrett,
A tiger of a man with fists of ore.
He’d raise his dukes and take on all comers,
Regardless the color of jersey they wore.

His mighty hands landed many a blow.
He never backed down from a brawl.
But such hardened paws don’t do you much good
When your job’s to be fielding the ball.

Posted 6/14/07.

Gary Sheffield: Free My Verse

by James Finn Garner

 

I called it years ago.

What I called is

that you’re going to see

more

black faces, but there ain’t no English

going to be

coming out. …

[It’s about]

being able to tell

[Latin players]

what to do —

being able to

control

them.

 

You might get a guy to do it that way

for a while

because he wants to benefit,

but in the end, he is going to go back

to being

who he is.

And that’s

a person that

you’re going to talk to

with respect,

you’re going to talk to

like a man.

 

These are the things my race demands.

 

So, if you’re equally good as this Latin player,

guess who’s going to get sent home?

I know a lot of players

that are home now

can outplay

a lot of these guys.

 

From an interview in GQ Magazine, June 2007