I am going to do this nojomo contest in conjunction with posting poems every day.
Question: Top XX things I want to do before I die
1. Visit all major league baseball stadiums
2. get Married
3. To earn a doctorett degree
4. to To become a license counselor
5. To become a professor
6. To get some of my poetry published
7. To write -publish a professional book-article pertaining to psychology
8. to own a condow
9. to have a child
10. To enjoy life as I continue to grow, learn and experience everything life has to offer me.
Although this next one is asking for a miricle
11. to be able to see again
I wanted to post the below poem in honor of the 2010 baseball season ending this evening.
It is a little freaky when I see the date I wrote it.
If you dont understand where I am coming from, writing this poem, you will not understand the mix feelings I have right now of joy for the SF Giants and the sadness for the Rangers as well as the empty feeling I know I will have tomorrow when I realize that my best friend will go into hybernation for a couple of months.
21. What baseball means to me
11/1/98
What is it
is it a game for little boys and girls to play
in the back yards or on the school grounds
is it an activity that teens play at day camp
is it a sport where men compete on fields
is it a job that professional athlete get paid for
striking out a batter or
getting a home run to win a game in front of 34000 screaming fans
what ever it is, I love it
when ever I need a friend
it is there for me all year round
during the fall classic
or the dog days of summer
or the frigged spring training
whether it is the climatic third round of the all star weekend home run derby
or a wiry 18 year old high school player
getting drafted to his home town team
may be you made it in to the hall of fame
on a veteran committee vote
or may be you were chosen by your teammates to pitch the final game of the high school world series
who ever you may be base ball is a historical pass time
president Taft through out the first
presidential opening day pitch
resident Clinton intervened on the strike of 94
president Reagan was a cryptograph interpreter
during the days of the babe
so presidents and presidents to be
promoted the major league
base ball with the help of news papers, radio and TV
from The Babe, Young Cobb and Mack
to Ryan Yount and Brett
from the Cubs and Yankees, the Spiders and Bean Eaters
to the Devil Rays and the Diamond Backs
base ball was invented in July of 1839
Abner Doubleday, in Cooperstown New York
base ball is played in California and Tokyo
in Toronto and Mexico City
where ever you may be base ball will be seen
so what is it that people love?
is it a grand slam in the ninth during the World Series
or is it bunting practice during Spring Training in mid March
how about a 500 foot home run by McGuire
a spiking stolen base by Cobb
then what about a hit by Rose
a strike out for a no hitter by Ryan
or a double dip, complete games 2 wins by Cy Young
a 20 year old bobby bonds first hit was a grand slam
what about the Splendid Splinter walking away with a home run to finish a hall of fame career in front of his home town fans
what makes us crazy
the sound of a sweet single to left field
a booming towering upper Decker that echoes the universe
the fast ball that travels through the webbing
the outfielder who goes through the center field wall to
rob a home run
a dog coke and peanuts who sits in the bleaches 19 dollars
a 10 time all star 8 time golden glove with 500 home runs
400 stolen bases and 1 world series ring 12 million
getting a autograph from your favorite player
or being at your boy hood idol's induction ceremony
being able to cheer for your home town boys
or being able to jeer the evil enemies that invade your territory
every year on opening day ball parks are filled up beyond capacity
it's the expectation of the home team making to the promise land
every year new people
the new rookie
who made it through the harsh competition of the spring training for his spot on the team
the super star
who signed a 100 mil contract and was handed the ace of the staff
who do we cheer for more
the immortal million ear
the college graduate who sit at the end of the bench with pride
actually it's both
it's the second year manager
it's the 10 year pitching coach
it's the hall of fame hitting coach
some are new
they are a few
some who seen that first scandal
those who still don't understand the reasoning for the strike 94
fathers sons who put there lives on hold
work school home
look, there is another family
father mother two sons and a new baby
a beer, an ice tea, two cokes and baby formula
a sausage, a chicken sandwich, two hot dogs and some snacks
40000 cheer for a major league game
40 cheer for a little league game
what ever it may be
a business favor, a birthday gift
by train by bus by feet or by car
the slow train
the extra bus stops
the crowd of people
or the traffic on that main high way
how ever you get there is your choice
when ever you get there it's your choice
just get there
the lawyer with the box seats season tickets
the boys who stand beyond the seats just to get a glimpse
the ones who are at the gate waiting
the ones who take there seats in the third
those who leave after the seventh inning stretch
those who stay during a tie game in the fourteenth
or the few who stay during a blow out rain delay
during the turn of day
who are you?
to me it's a place for all to get away from life,
from reality,
from the abusive family,
from the hostile work environment
the ten page research paper for biology class
or the demanding friends
the nice green grass
the more modern astro turf
the green monster, the ivy wall
the palm tree or the water fall
or the corn field and pumpkin patch
what ever it may be for you
it is a peace of base ball
just like the annoying press people in the locker room
or that obsessive fan who tracks your every move
and knows your every stat
from how many home runs you have
to what kind of jelly you like with the peanut butter
may be it is an adoring teen age girl
or a 26 year old career stalker
who is the one that collects the baseball cards
the one with your biography
the one with some memorabilia of you
the one who wears your jersey to your game
do you see him
may be he is 5 or 95
may be there are 4 of them
who share the name the 35 and 65 as well
the one who can tell about the Babe
the one who can tell stories about the Splendid Splinter
the one who saw Yaz
the one who will be able to tell stories about Pedro and Nomar
the 1918 world series
the 1957 world series
the 1975 world series
the 1986 world series
each has a story to share
august 5 6
500, 3000, 3000, has stories to tell and history place among the elite
Mark did it less than the Babe
Toni on his mother's birthday
and Wade, with a homerun
Rogers, Cone Martinez and Browning were the 4 last
perfectos of the past
the first in 1888
as baseball heads to it's third century
we hope for the future
with out loosing the past
as my great grand father watched the Babe Cobb and Mack
I watch the big Mac, The Thief and Joe Torre
a blast a steel a win
the game has not changed
unlike the other 3
base ball will be playing as far in to the future
as it has been played in the past
this is a job, a sport an activity,
a game for human of all kinds
Jacky Robinson, Barry Bonds
Hank Greenburg, Sean Green
Luis Tiant, Dennis Martinez Ivan Rodriguez
Jose Canseco Livan Hernandez
Nomo Hasegawa and Irabu
little Joey Cora, The Unit, Randy Johnson
what's the dif
14inches but love is the same
how about the game
a single up the middle, take first
a double over the wall, take it twice
a shot in the corner, run, run, run a triple is what you have
take that 42 ounce tree and plant it
hit on the stitch, and you may touch them all
that ain’t coming back
now weight, a base runner at second
you take a cut at the air
good, now level it out and push it towards the third bag
sacrifice bunt, or fly
any way how about a fast ball or a curve,
a slider or a change up
how about the physical fit and muscular body of a base ball player
they must be
they can come back from injury faster than the normal human
they can lift more
run faster
jump higher
stretch further
last longer
but most of all
they can hit a round ball with a round bat, square
if you can do this 3 out of 10 times
you are good
but if you get 30 percent on an exam
you may never have a job
or if you only get 3 balls in the net out of 10
then you may be benched
if you can only complete 3 out of 10 passes
you may be let go
if you can only clear the hurtles 3 of 10, you may be injured
but if you can clear the wall between the 2 poles 1 of 15
you are a hero
but a role model, no
well if you give a little kid an autograph
or you give a bat to a young man in a wheel chair
or you visit a sick man in the hospital
you are a hero and a winner on and off the field
it should not matter where you play or how much money you receive
just play it for the fun
the fans have to know that even though
you can hit the ball over the wall
or you can throw a ball faster than a speeding car
that even you with the perfect body is still human
you have a family
you have bills to pay
kids to play video games with
and a wife to love
the hall should be for every one
of every race ethnicity sex and sexual preference
height and weight
it should not matter if you have done drugs, playing drunk
or even broken the law
it should not matter if you look normal or not,
whether you have 3 fingers on a hand or no hand at all
whether you can hear perfectly
or at time can barely walk
if you can swing a bat or pitch a ball
then some where between the white line
there is a place for you |
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I love love love it!! And I'm one of those crazy fans who sit in the rain waiting for my boys to come back on the field and who still screams for them if they're losing 14-0 or if it's tied in the 14th inning, lol.
