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Jack O’Connor

by Michael Ceraolo

In my first trade war
I took a sum of money to jump my contract,
then stayed put and kept the money
What were they going to do, sue me?
In the next trade war
I acted as Ban Johnson’s agent
and convinced several of my Pirate teammates
to move with me to his American League
Did that earn his undying gratitude?
Hell no
It took eight years, but he got rid of me
after the Lajoie hitting spree against us
Season-ending games between non-contenders
always had, and continue to have, aspects of farce:
witness the fact that McGuire and I,
both over forty, caught for part of the day
I had the last laugh, winning my lawsuit
for the 1911 salary I was due,
though if I had to do it over
I would manage the doubleheader differently.

Informal head and shoulders portrait of baseball player Jack O’Connor of the American League’s St. Louis baseball team, standing on the field at South Side Park, located at West 37th Street, South Princeton Avenue, West Pershing Road (formerly West 39th Street), and South Wentworth Avenue in the Armour Square community area of Chicago, Illinois. Photo source: Chicago History Museum.
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Could Be

By Bob Gibson

Have you ever thrown a ball 100 miles an hour?
Everything hurts,
even your ass hurts.

I see pictures of my face
and say,
“Holy shit”,
but that’s the strain you feel
when you throw.

People say,
“Man he’s an ass-hole.”
Could be,
depends on if you
pissed me off
or not.

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The Limits of Human Vision

by Greg Maddux

You just can’t do it.
Sometimes hitters can
pick up differences in spin.
They can identify pitches
if there are different
release points
or
if a curveball starts
with an upward hump
as it leaves a pitcher’s hand.
But if a pitcher can
change speeds,
every hitter is
helpless,
limited by human vision.

Except for that (expletive) Tony Gwynn.

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Brock of Ages

by Elliot Harris

The news of the death
Of the great Lou Brock
Did not come
As a complete shock.

Late in his life
He suffered some ills,
This Cardinals legend
Who provided such thrills.

A man who made the game
So much fun,
Especially so in the way
He could run.

While he could steal bases,
Even better than that
Was how the lefty hitter
Could handle the bat.

Nothing but good words
For a Hall of Fame fella.
Smile, for his legacy
Includes the Brockabrella.

Recalling his glory days
When he ran fast
In World Series games
From the distant past.
The memories he gave us,
May they always last.

 

(Editor Error! First submitted Sept. 7, 2020. RIP Lou Brock. Apologies to the writer.)