Baseball Project Past Time
When Campy Campaneris played all nine positions in a game.
When Pete Rose demolished Ray Fosse he was never the same.
31 wins and an album on Capitol for Denny McLain.
So long ago,
so long,
Pastime,
are you past your prime?
The DiMaggios, Shoeless Joe, Minnie Minoso, Yo La Tengo.
Luis Aparicio and Nellie Fox made the Sox go go.
The sideburns of Pepitone and Oscar Gamble’s afro.
So long ago,
so long,
Pastime,
are you past your prime?
One thing you can say about time is that it always passes.
One thing you can say about the game is that it’s not getting any faster.
You can get tangled up in a ball of rubber bands and twine,
the cowhide and pinetar, snuff, spit and chalk dust lines.
Two round-trippers and a nohitter, that’s Rick Wise (not Bobby Wine).
So long ago,
so long,
Pastime,
are you past your prime?
