Saturday, March 2, 2013

Postcards From Victory Park (Vol. 3)


From under ten to nearly twenty, they’re lured
By some sports-loving siren:
Year-round here it seems that baseball is being
Played on every diamond.

As my son and I walk by them on a daily basis
I wouldn’t call it coincidental
That the coaches are drilling into their players
Every kind of fundamental.

“Infielders! Don’t let ground balls get past you!
That can cost you a game!
Outfielders! Make sure you catch it before you
Throw it! Work on your aim!”

The kids have done the drills dozens of times and
Some seem a bit upset --- it
Is like they want to tell their coaches, “We know
This stuff & won’t forget it.”

On one field on the following Saturday afternoon
We couldn’t help quickly becoming aware
A real game was being played and we learned why
Coaches are going gray or losing their hair.

It was impossible for anyone watching to ignore
What had just occurred ---
An awful throw to first was followed by an even
More wretched one to third.

This made one coach apoplectic. He jumped up and down
And was loudly squawking about.
When Casey Stengel said, “Can’t anybody play this game?”
This is what he was talking about.




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