Regular Season Post-Mortem, or a Toast to Stories Departed

By Stuart Shea

10 Teams Continue,
20 Teams Done.
Stories we have followed
Now consigned to history–
Into the pages of a book
That has been replaced by a web site.

Jose Abreu’s rookie season is over.
Corey Kluber’s ass-kicking year is over.
Phillip Hughes’ breakout is over.
Charlie Blackmon’s beard is over.
Kirk Gibson is VERY over.
But the damage done by Kevin Towers’ trades is just beginning.
Altuve’s wonderful year is over.
The Rangers’ long march of injuries is over…
But the Wash Era is also over.

Everth Cabrera’s honeymoon is over.
Marcus Stroman’s debut is over.
The painful Jay Bruce year is over.
Brock Holt Mania! is over.
Another King Felix masterwork is over.
Giancarlo’s monster season is over.
Jonathan Lucroy’s emergence is over.
The Braves’ painful swan dive is over.
Mesoraco’s breakout is over.
The struggles of Springer are over.
The weird Joe Mauer year is over.
Justin Smoak’s chance is over.
Another frustrating Rockies season is over.
The Chase Headley Padres are over.
The Papelbon crap is over,
But the Phillies’ country club continues.

The Frank Wren Era is over.
Colby Rasmus in Toronto is REALLY over.
Desmond Jennings’ honeymoon is over.
Heath Bell seems over.
The Cubs on WGN are over.
Bobby Abreu is over.
Josh Willingham is over.
Carlos Beltran sure looks over.
Can Kevin Gregg please be over?
Jason Giambi is finally over, right?
The 2013 World Champs are really over.
Is Ron Roenicke’s time over?
The Mets’ sexual harassment suit is NOT over.
Wrigley Field as we knew it is over.
Paul Konerko is over.
Derek Jeter is over.
20 Teams are over.

No Bravery This October

By Stuart Shea

Leaving Atlanta for the suburbs,
Swimming upriver like the other turds,
A bad team with no personality
And a logo strictly for the birds.

A dumb manager and no GM,
Folding down the stretch again,
Stuck with Chip Caray on the mike
And a press corps of yes-men,

Once this was America’s team,
Murphy, Maddux, Glavine, even Bream,
They’ll be sitting at home this October,
And don’t it make you wanna let out a
Big
Happy
Scream?

Joe Torre

by Stephen Jones

Joe Torre
Made his way
To Cooperstown
Because he showed
His greatest stat
Was to listen
To what was said
So, he quietly led
By example
Showing patience
And humanity
In the dugout
On the field
And before any camera

 

National League East 2014 Spring Training Haiku

by Stuart Shea

BRAVES
Upton up and down?
Uggla ugly or upward?
Freddie a Free Man?

MARLINS
Now that everyone
Has left the stadium, the
Rebuild can begin.

METS
A farewell to arms—
No Harvey, no Mejia?
And one fat Colon.

NATIONALS
Welcome, Matt Williams!
Now that you’re here, it’s assumed
You’ll win right away.

PHILLIES
Old men, broken down,
Troll the green fields of the town,
Searching for what’s gone.