Nap Lajoie

by Michael Ceraolo

I once was quoted as saying
no one gives you anything in baseball,
but that isn’t correct
Morgan Murphy gave me and other Phillies many hits
when he stole signs from the stands
and relayed them to a coacher through a buzzer system,
and the coacher then relayed them to us
And the St. Louis Browns gave me half-a-dozen bunt hits
during a doubleheader to end the 1901 season,
enabling me to win the batting title and a car
I took those gifts without apology,
though I often wished that the Browns
would have given us the ’08 pennant instead

 

Mr. 51-51

by Fred Lovato

Historic milestone
proof positive that Shohei’s
not from this planet

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani (17) reacts after hitting his 50th home run of the season during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

Spencer Strider

by Dave Margolis

Spencer Strider
Throws a great slider
And when his fastball’s on the make-a
Nobody’s gonna break-a

Photo Credit: Dale Zanine, USA Today Sports.

Big Klu

by James Finn Garner

When Leo the Lip tried to name
The five strongest bats in the game
He omitted Ted Klu
Hinted he lived in the zoo
Human being? He’s not quite the same.

When Hall of Fame manager Leo Durocher was once asked by a writer to name five of the strongest players in baseball, he complied. However, when the writer pointed out that he’d left Ted Kluszewski off the list, Durocher huffed and said, “Kluszewski? I’m talking about human beings!” Happy 100th birthday, Big Klu!