by Stephen Jones
Pitchers and catchers
Gloves like flowers, balls like seeds
Winter swept away
Baseball Aside
by Stephen Jones
The World Series, done and done;
Kudos to the team from Boston.
The game’s over, but not the reason
I still think about this past season:
Thing’s have changed in the MLB.
Maybe it’s the younger market; maybe
It’s all the numbers — analytics, metrics —
That management wields like accountants.
And maybe it’s the new-age managers
Who’ve now become front-office butlers.
Maybe it’s money ball, season by season;
Maybe it’s base-pinball and video expectation.
Nonetheless,
Baseball’s an all-time contradiction:
A timeless pastime, and yet with evolution.
Red Sox 4, Yankees 3
by Stephen Jones
I turned off the television
After last night’s do-or-die game.
I felt the gray disappointment
Which filled Yankee Stadium.
Then I had a chalkboard thought:
Analytics, metrics–these are fine,
Like ammunition in a debate–
But one thing can’t be measured:
The “It” factor, which makes a team.
Call it luck or unseen chemistry,
“It” is something not on paper.
The equation’s simple, but elegant:
Capitalize; seize the moment:
Boston did; the Yankees didn’t.
Red Sox 16, Yankees 1
by Stephen Jones
It was hard to watch unhinged nature–
I mean, to watch last night’s nightmare.
The Yankees had no collateral whatsoever,
Either on the mound or at bat–never.
And today, all the tabloids are offering
Aspirin and much finger-pointing.
Best scenario: win tonight–hooray!–
And then go back to Boston’s Fenway.
Rockies’ Adieu in Three
by Stephen Jones
We heard the landslide
Saw the Rockies tumble down
And Brewers advance