With the advent of the pitch clock
baseball seems to be on speed.
Every game is now shorter in duration.
Singles are called “sins,”
and triples are known as “trips”.
Everybody wears a watch.
What will happen next?
Four balls reduced to three?
Three strikes reduced to two?
After three foul balls you’re out?
Games maybe cut to seven innings?
Football, basketball, and hockey
are controlled by the clock
with victory or defeat often
decided in the last minute.
Are we now saying that our
national pastime has to give in
to the sweep of the second hand?
Where is the baseball of yore,
a leisurely time when we could
relax and catch our collective breaths?
I ran overtime – ball one!
THE POETRY OF THE GAME