IN THE MINORS

Terry Downes

The old coach squinted towards the mound
To watch the youngster there
To see if he might have the stuff
Or just be ordinaire.

It was a dusty afternoon
And hot in late July
A blazing sun above the field
Turned green turf tough and dry.

From plate to outfield warning track
The faithful there could see
Both young and old in uniform
Playing ball with glee.

The rookies play to make their way
To money and to fame;
The vets remain to play each day
For pride and love of game.

The minor leagues are near ignored
The majors get the ink;
But those who truly love the game
So often stop and think:

The past and present of the game
What was and what’s to be
The hopes of players and of fans
Is there most plain to see.

In quiet towns in small ballyards
Far from the cities’ bright
All the future’s on the line –
The minors play tonight!

****

Terry Downes is an attorney and retired District Court Clerk/Magistrate who went on to found and direct the MCC Program on Homeland Security, and long served as an adjunct professor at Suffolk Univ. Law School and UMASS-Lowell. He lives in Lowell with his wife Atty. Annie O’Connor.

This is the second in a series of nine poems about baseball (nine, like in nine innings of a game, or nine players on the field, etc.) which will appear on the first Friday of each month through the baseball season. Here are the previously posted poems in this series:

March – Spring Training

April – Opening Day

May – Early Season

June – Postponed!