Posted on

NYC IL

by Stephen Jones

So many players this season —
The gods of baseball must have a reason
For a Yankee IL list so long.
All those absentees — they alone
Could make a team in any division.

Posted on

Big Deals for Some in Baseball

by Stephen Jones

I have read: it used to be, in ancient Rome,
That some gladiators sat by the throne
And enjoyed brief immortality;

That, and some gold, also assured longevity.

Nowadays, instead of slashing swords,
Checkbooks and big bats are the words.
But I wonder: maybe it’s not so different.
The blue sky is still the same firmament,
And ballparks are not unlike coliseums—

Where ballplayers still get life-changing encomiums.

Harper, Trout, Machado, and some others,
Have much in common with their Roman brothers.