"That Double Play Again" (Tinkers-Evers-Chance; Vin Scully wanted new poem)

baseball almanac ^ | 8-2-14

[doug from upland]

During tonight's game, Vin Scully read a poem about the famous Chicago Cub double play trio of Tinkers to Evers to Chance.

Published: New York Evening Mail (July 10, 1910)

These are the saddest of possible words:
"Tinker to Evers to Chance."
Trio of bear cubs, and fleeter than birds,
Tinker and Evers and Chance.
Ruthlessly pricking our gonfalon bubble,
Making a Giant hit into a double-
Words that are heavy with nothing but trouble:
"Tinker to Evers to Chance."

Baseball's Sad Lexicon by Franklin Pierce Adams ©

He then said something about needing a new poem (I think about the Dodgers). So here is the effort.

THE BOYS IN BLUE by Douglas ***** 8-2-2014

In ’55 I was too small to watch what they had done
The prize that had eluded them, thank goodness they had won
But just a few years later, they had broken many hearts
The Boys in Blue had headed west; the time came to depart

The Coliseum was unique, my first taste came one June
I got to see a “Moon Shot” by the lefty Wally Moon
Oh what a year was ’59, Game 1 they took hard knocks
Then Larry Sherry led the way as he took down the Sox

Chavez Ravine in ’62, a real home at last
I shiver as I now recall a monster Howard blast
The Mets, no hits; yes, I was there when Sandy threw his first
But San Fran won the pennant and I thought my heart would burst

An outfield with the Davis boys, could Willie ever run
He ran through coaches signs; he couldn’t stop once he’d begun
With Wills and Sandy Koufax and the frightening Big D
They beat the dreaded Yankees with a sweep in ‘63

Then once again in ’65 the quiet man would win
But this time it took Alston seven games to beat the Twins
In ’81 I got a seat, game 5 was so much fun
Guerrero, Yeager, back to back, beat Guidry 2 to 1

The magic of an infield – Russell, Garvey, Lopes, and Cey
Unprecedented in the game, for 10 years they would play
In ’88 they shocked the A’s, Kirk Gibson we all hail
The cheering must have caused an “8” on Cal Tech’s Richter Scale

A lifetime full of memories for this old Dodger fan
A Series win has been awhile, but Kershaw has a plan
The ghosts of Brooklyn, I believe, that sometimes I can hear
They whisper and they give me hope with their “Wait ‘til next year”

[Misterioso]

I bleep Vinny when gets on his stage. Good win for the Dodgers tonight, though. HanRam came through, finally.