by Rick Young | May 11, 2014 | Poem
Charlie Gehringer was dubbed "The Mechanical Man."
Had seven years two-hundred hits, a career Tiger man.
Rip Sewell learned his blooper pitch when injury made him lame.
Ted Williams hit one in the seats, forty-six All Star Game.
Milt Pappas came up young and had his best years for the O’s.
He won two-hundred games, pitched one no-hitter. So it goes.
Floyd Youmans won just thirty games, most of them as a starter.
He was in the big trade that brought Mets old Gary Carter.
by Rick Young | May 10, 2014 | Poem
Ken Berry was a gold glove center fielder in the junior loop.
He was quite graceful in the outfield, like his namesake from F Troop.
John Cumberland had fifteen lifetime wins and not the best of arms.
The one best hope is that he somehow was connected to the Farms.
Joey Meyer hit the longest homer in pro history.
Why he couldn’t make it with Milwaukee’s still a mystery.
Robby Thompson played for San Francisco through his whole career.
Beaned in ninety-three by Hoffman. After that, he hit in fear.
by Rick Young | May 9, 2014 | Poem
Billy Jurges, good field shortstop, then manager, coach and scout,
Once was shot by jealous girlfriend, attempting to take him out.
Floyd Robinson played outfield under Al Lopez for the pale hose.
Went six-for-six in his third year. No at-bats could compare to those.
Tony Gwynn, a base hit god, was eight times N.L. batting champ.
"Mr. Padre" spent his twenty years in San Diego camp.
Prince Fielder matched his father Cecil’s fifty homers. That was nice.
The big first sacker later won the All Star home run derby, twice.
by Rick Young | May 8, 2014 | Poem
Ed Roush had great years with the Reds. Nobody can doubt that.
The Hall of Fame outfielder swung a forty-eight ounce bat.
Mike Cuellar’s baffling lefty tosses had movement aplenty.
With Orioles, he won a Cy and four times at least twenty.
Dennis Leonard was a workhorse righty for K.C.
Pitched thirteen years there until cut short by knee injury.
Adrian Gonzalez, a spray hitter with good pop,
Has played ten years with four teams, L.A. Dodgers latest stop.
by Rick Young | May 7, 2014 | Poem
Dick Williams guided Oakland A’s to two World Series rings.
He’d almost taken Sox there, but Bob Gibson screwed up things.
Claude Raymond was called "Frenchy," ’cause he was a Quebec guy.
For two straight years, his Topps card showed him with an unzipped fly.
Al Williams was a Nicaraguan righty with the Twins.
‘Twas with the Sandinistas that he scored his biggest wins.
Brook Fordyce was a catcher, brought up in the nutmeg state.
His best year was two-thousand, hit three-hundred at the plate.
