Tag Archives: Haiku Wednesday

Cardinals Haiku Wednesday: On Spring Games and Kolten Wong

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There’s no prize for having the best record in spring training, no Grapefruit League or Cactus League championships. But, even with games that really aren’t important once March 31 arrives, it’s painful to look at the standings and see the St. Louis Cardinals at the bottom with only two wins to go with seven losses (and, though not listed, two ties).

MathenyEven with the small number of innings to skew things, looking at the pitching stats thus far is not terribly pleasant either. The hitting stats are a little better … until you really start looking at some of those toward the bottom.

Patience, right? It’s only March 12. Things will improve, because these are the Cardinals. They are talented. They have depth. They are the reigning National League champions. They’re good enough, they’re smart enough and, doggone it, people like them!

We like them!

Even when we get frustrated by them … which we sometimes do these days. Right?

But things can — and will — change. A week ago, we were all worried about Kolten Wong. Now look at him. Not that he’s at the top of those stats, and that’s OK. He’s improving. He’s relaxing. He’s doing back flips and being featured everywhere, with this story in the New York Times especially good. As is this one by Derrick Goold. Plus you can see his homer from yesterday in this story by Jenifer Langosch (which is not to say her story isn’t good, because it is as well).

With all of that, plenty of poetic fodder …

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Cardinals Haiku Wednesday: World Series Rematch

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Ah, Red Sox against Cardinals: the rematch.

Ugh.

2013 WSI’m not yet over the World Series — what about you? (Actually, I’m not yet over the 2004 World Series — what about you?)

Yet today’s schedule brings the Red Sox to Jupiter, which means that it’s not going to exactly be a lineup for Boston like we saw last October. (Hopefully that means less horrid facial hair.) Although looking at the Cardinals lineup, with Yadier Molina behind the plate for the first time this spring, seems to say “ooooh, this is serious.”

Or that Yadi’s tired of just hitting.

But, given that FOX Sports Midwest is bringing today’s game, you know Dan and Al will be on the THIS IS SERIOUS! bandwagon. Because they love nothing more than hyping things, don’t they? And, based on last weekend’s broadcasts, they also love telling us about everything we watched last October and have already moved on from, although they didn’t have the chance to tell us all about it in their hyped-up giddy way at the time so they have to remind us over and over now … and in April when real games start.

Anyway, poetry time.

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Cardinals Haiku Wednesday: Holiday, Holliday And Photo Day

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Ah, Opening Day. Just hearing those magical words brightens your spirit, right? Only 33 more days until Cardinals baseball officially begins for 2014, and only 40 days until the real Opening Day, the Cards home opener.

0331-us-sports-openingday_full_600A friend has joked for years that Opening Day should be a holiday, which I absolutely agree with — especially since I usually take the day off anyway (actually, days, since the Cards seems to open on the road far too often in recent years). And now Ozzie Smith and Budweiser are leading a charge to officially make it so.

Just read the description for the petition to the White House and tell me this doesn’t get you even more excited for baseball after this long, dreadful winter:

MLB Opening Day is more than just the beginning of the season. It’s a symbol of rebirth. The coming of spring. The return of America’s national pastime. It’s a state of mind where anything is possible. You can feel the electricity in the air. Opening Day brings with it the promise of a new beginning. Every fan is in good spirits. It’s a day of celebration. It’s a day of hope. It’s a day that, for generations, has been looked forward to by baseball fans every off-season. It’s an American tradition, and it deserves to be recognized as an American holiday. Join us in our quest to make sure every American can exercise their inalienable right to celebrate the day those two magical words are uttered for the first time: “PLAY BALL!”

Poetry on its own, right? You can sign the petition here, as 100,000 signatures are needed for it to move forward and I was No. 20,996. (Never mind the logistics of what Opening Day would be the holiday, with games in Australia this year and on Sunday Night Baseball. It will all work out.)

Yet, with today being Wednesday, more poetry is needed …

Despite confusion
Of when Opening Day is
Baseball is our right.

Those magical words
“Play ball!” make all good once again.
A holiday? Yes!

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Cardinals Haiku Wednesday: The Gang’s All Here

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Once upon a time, three years ago, we loved writing poetry at Aaron Miles’ Fastball. Perhaps you’ve noticed the Poems for The Poet link on the home page (or not, which is fine) — yes, back in 2011, we wrote a poem every time Miguel “The Poet” Batista pitched. Most often they ended up being the type of tragic poetry filled with heartbreak teenage girls specialize in, but look at the subject we had. What else could we have written?

Then, when Barrett Browning made his major league debut in 2012, the poetic tributes had a short-lived revival thanks to his lyrical name. Every once in a while too some on-field happening just begged to be captured via verse, and last season as well.

That was all in the past.

And maybe this long, cold, snowy, never-ending winter is to blame. but we really could use some poetry around here again. Right?

Thus, Cardinals Haiku Wednesday.

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