Baseball illiterate, unable to root
except in following crowds
like some poetic dunce
It never scored with me
how unlikely a homerun
how loveable a team
only as it mattered to him
But he changed the game
from play to real
worthy of news
a conflict of heroes
a stage to learn from
Not many get their strength from baseball
not many from poetry
but we who do head for the outfield
alert, expecting to win