by Marianne Moore
(Suggested by post-game broadcasts)
Fanaticism?No.Writing is excitingand baseball is like writing.You can never tell with eitherhow it will goor what you will do;generating excitement——a fever in the victim——pitcher， catcher， fielder， batter.Victim in what category?Owlman watching from the press box?To whom does it apply?Who is excited?Might it be I?
It’s a pitcher’s battle all the way——a duel——a catcher’s， as， with cruelpuma paw， Elston Howard lumbers lightlyback to plate.(His springde-winged a bat swing.)
They have that killer instinct;yet Elston——whose catchingarm has hurt them all with the bat——when questioned， says， unenviously，"I’m very satisfied.We won."Shorn of the batting crown， says， "We";robbed by a technicality.
When three players on a side play three positionsand modify conditions，the massive run need not be everything."Going， going . . . "
Isit?Roger Marishas it， running fast.You willnever see a finer catch.Well . . ."Mickey， leaping like the devil"——whygild it， although deer sounds better——snares what was speeding towards its treetop nest，one-handing the souvenir-to-bemeant to be caught by you or me.Assign Yogi Berra to Cape Canaveral;he could handle any missile.He is no feather."Strike! . . . Strike two!"Fouled back.A blur.It’s gone.
You would inferthat the bat had eyes.He put the wood to that one.Praised， Skowron says， "Thanks， Mel.I think I helped a little bit."All business， each， and modesty.Blanchard， Richardson， Kubek， Boyer.In that galaxy of nine， say whichwon the pennant?Each.It was he.Those two magnificent saves from the knee-throwsby Boyer， finesses in twos——like Whitey’s three kinds of pitch and prediagnosiswith pick-off psychosis.Pitching is a large subject.Your arm， too true at first， can learn tocatch your corners——even troubleMickey Mantle.("Grazed a Yankee!My baby pitcher， Montejo!"With some pedagogy，you’ll be tough， premature prodigy.)They crowd him and curve him and aim for the knees.
Tryingindeed!The secret implying："I can stand here， bat held steady."One may suit him;none has hit him.Imponderables smite him.Muscle kinks， infections， spike woundsrequire food， rest， respite from ruffians.(Drat it!Celebrity costs privacy!)Cow’s milk， "tiger’s milk，" soy milk， carrot juice，brewer’s yeast (high-potency——concentrates presage victorysped by Luis Arroyo， Hector Lopez——deadly in a pinch.And "Yes，it’s work; I want you to bear down，but enjoy itwhile you’re doing it."
Mr. Houk and Mr. Sain，if you have a rummage sale，don’t sell Roland Sheldon or Tom Tresh.Studded with stars in belt and crown，the Stadium is an adastrium.O flashing Orion，your stars are muscled like the lion.
