The Agony of the Agate

by Michael X. Ferraro

Baseball in August creates many jobs
for travel agents and typesetting slobs.
Rehab assignments, Triple A spot starts,
Pennant aspirants shopping for spare parts.

Roster gods move in mysterious ways–
David DeJesus, three teams in five days?
Colin Cowgill’s grin, Billy Buckner’s frown.
Holy Toledo, Phil Coke’s been sent down!

Some guys can’t clear waivers; others released,
Plus one salary dump in the NL East.
(The Mets helped Pittsburgh in a deal most absurd—
Just tossed them a Buck and flipped them a Byrd.)

Eduardo Sanchez, gone from the big club.
But Ma Arrieta, Jake’s now a Cub!
Brad Boxberger sighs, packs for the bushes.
John Axford heads where the playoff push is.

Contenders reload, pretenders cut bait.
Hey Tuffy Goseswisch, Reno’s your fate.
Jose Constanza the Braves did recall,
with hopes that he’ll help them deep into Fall.

Philly’s less Savery—no Joe in the bigs;
Report sir, at once, to the Iron Pigs.
Ross Wolf’s been optioned to Round Rock Express,
while the Dodgers scooped up Edinson Volquez.

One-line transactions, a queer kind of fame.
Vic Black, you’ve become “Player To Be Named.”
Xavier Avery’s now a Rainier,
maybe Seattle, he’ll see you next year?

Michael X. Ferraro is a writer/producer/lyricist who scans the fine print daily to make sure he hasn’t been outrighted to Lehigh Valley.

Halfway-Point Haiku

by D. Bruce Brown

Is Haiku foolish?
For the national pastime?
Heavens, I hope not.

NL West
Arizona
Nice guys finish last
Crabby managers do win
They still need pitching

Los Angeles
Is money the key?
It can bring in the big names
No, it’s the scouting

Colorado
Thin air skews his stats.
Is Todd a Hall of Famer?
No, probably not

San Francisco
We won it all twice…
With an absence of offense
Only even years

San Diego
A beautiful park
The only Hall of Famer
Is up in the booth

NL East
Atlanta
Fourteen in a row
Is not so impossible
It might start this year

Washington
First picks starting games
Davey says this is his last
A doormat no more

Philadelphia
A team on the rise
They are not now any more
We all miss Harry

New York
A small pantheon
But will be growing soon now
Matt Harvey’s a star

Miami
Was ever team
More worthy than its owner
To be in the Bigs?

NL Central
St. Louis
The league’s best record
They have birds on their jerseys
We all will miss Stan

Pittsburgh
A great tradition
Lives on in the memory of fans
Maybe the year’s here!

Cincinnati
Phillips is wondrous
The rest are outstanding too
It’s Dusty’s last year

Chicago
The city’s windy
Is anything more constant
Than fans’ apathy?

Milwaukee
Segura is great
John Axford is clean shaven
Nicest fans ever

 

D. Bruce Brown has posted daily trivia questions for Horsehide Trivia since 1997.  He is also the president of the Bob Davids chapter of SABR.

On a Clerihew Day, You Can See Forever (All-Star Game Edition)

by James Finn Garner

David Wright
Was expecting a big night
On his home field
With the rest of the Mets concealed.

Robinson Cano
Not too long ago
Was the picture of Yankee youth.
Now even he is long in the tooth.

Manny Machado,
If he were a flavor of gelado,
Would be, I’d bet,
Orioles black-and-orange sherbet.

Carlos Beltran
On the days the smelt ran
Would’ve rather been at the lake fishing
Than at the plate swishing.

Chris Sale
Is young, hearty and hale.
It’s the White Sox’s bats
That cripple his stats.

 

Inter-League Play (Going My Way?)

by Stephen Jones

The bells are ringing for inter-league play –
A diet staple, just like a holiday.

What was once a summer oddity
Is now regular baseball commodity,

Some match-ups enhance old rivalries –
Like Mets/Yankees, a subway series.

Others are fuel for the ongoing fire –
To DH or not?  That argument doesn’t tire.

To Judy and Der Bingle – my apologies.
Baseball is fathomless, with twisting eddies.

It continues, Zeus-like, with cosmic mystery
Ordaining: The AL keeps its singularity.

 

At Long Last, Hu

by Jim Siergey

Bud Abbott befuddled poor Lou
With bit about first baseman Who.
.       What once was absurd
.       Today has occurred
“Hey, Abbott! On first base is Hu!”

 

For the picture that Abbott & Costello never lived to see, as well as a great modern retelling of their classic routine, check out this post by PeteyHendrix at Red Reporter.