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Detroit Tigers

http://armchairgm.wikia.com/Detroit_Tigers

The Base Stealer
by Robert Francis


Poised between going on and back, pulled
Both ways taut like a tightrope-walker,
Fingertips pointing the opposites,
Now bouncing tiptoe like a dropped ball
Or a kid skipping rope, come on, come on,
Running a scattering of steps sidewise,
How he teeters, skitters, tingles, teases,
Taunts them, hovers like an ecstatic bird,
He's only flirting, crowd him, crowd him,
Delicate, delicate, delicate, delicate - now!

There are some poems that I make my students stand up and act out.  The Base Stealer is one of these (another is Foul Shot by Edwin A. Hoey).  Today I chose my poem before I chose my team.  Next, I looked for the top base stealer of all time.  Ricky Henderson owns this title, and I've already done the A's.  Lou Brock is next in line, but I'm saving the best (Cubs!) for last or near the end.  Billy Hamilton comes in third, but I have already done the Phillies.  Ty Cobb comes in fourth.  Finally a team I have not mentioned, and a name I recognize.  The winner for today's blog post is the Detroit Tigers.  Detroit, home of the auto industry bailout (auto bailout = bad... Wall Street bailout = good... or so I've heard from the brainiacs running for the Republican nomination).  One of my favorite Super Bowl ads from 2011 is Eminem's ad or Detroit's ad or... (right behind the Star Wars boy with the VW).  Barry Sanders did not play baseball, yet he was an amazing running back.  Do you think Detroit was going for "lions and tigers and bears, oh my" until the Chicago stole the Bears and the Cubs?  Anyway, hey, the poem makes you want to stand up and imitate the runner... teeters, skitters, tingles, teases... delicate, delicate, delicate- now!  Right?!



Today I give thanks for...
1) awakened to the sound of geese flying overhead
2) stealing borrowing my dad's all in one printer (copy, scan, print)... It seems bad that a Lenten practice would include giving thanks for stealing borrowing, but I left a note.
3) a beautiful warm spring day at the end of winter

Comments

dw said…
That was a pretty good commercial. I also really like the Tigers' logo.
3:51 PM
LH said…
Ty Cobb was #4, and so long ago. Surprising.
5:54 PM
Jim said…
Ty Cobb was a miserable human being and a terrible, terrible racist. Great at hitting a baseball, though.

I like it when the Twins kick the shit out of Detroit. Just because.
1:20 AM
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