[personal profile] mabfan
(With apologies to Ernest Lawrence Thayer, and to Carlos Beltran, who did his best. And with thanks to Peter David, for an important edit in the penultimate verse.)

The outlook wasn't brilliant for the New York Mets that day:
The score stood one to one, with but one inning more to play,
And then when Rolen got to first, Molina's turn at bat
Made it clear to one and all the game shouldn't end like that.

A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest
Clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast;
They thought, "If only Beltran could but get a whack at that—
We'd put up even money now, with Beltran at the bat.

But Floyd preceded Beltran, as did also Valentin,
And the former one was injured, while the latter wasn't "in";
So upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat,
For there seemed but little chance of Beltran getting to the bat.

But Valentin and Chavez to the wonderment of all,
Hit two singles in a row, they really slammed that ball;
And though hopes were pinned on Reyes, after Floyd's depressing stance,
With Lo Duca loading bases, it seemed the Mets might get to dance.

Then from a million throats and more there rose a lusty yell;
It rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell;
It pounded on the mountain and recoiled upon the flat,
For Beltran, mighty Beltran, was advancing to the bat.

There was ease in Beltran's manner as he stepped into his place;
There was pride in Beltran's bearing and a smile lit Beltran's face.
And when, responding to the cheers, he lightly doffed his hat,
No stranger in the crowd could doubt 'twas Beltran at the bat.

Two million eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;
A million tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt;
Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,
Defiance flashed in Beltran's eye, a sneer curled Beltran's lip.

And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air,
And Beltran stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.
Close by the sturdy batsman the changeup pitch it sped—
"That ain't my style," said Beltran. "Strike one!" the umpire said.

From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar,
Like the beating of the storm-waves on a stern and distant shore;
"Kill him! Kill the umpire!" shouted someone on the stand;
And it's likely they'd have killed him had not Beltran raised his hand.

With a smile of Christian charity great Beltran's visage shone;
He stilled the rising tumult; he bade the game go on;
He signaled to the pitcher, and once more the dun sphere flew;
This time it was a curveball, and the umpire said, "Strike two!"

"Fraud!" cried the maddened Mets fans, and echo answered "Fraud!"
But one scornful look from Beltran and the audience was awed.
They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain,
And they knew that Beltran wouldn't let that ball go by again.

The sneer is gone from Beltran's lip, his teeth are clenched in hate,
He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate;
And Adam Wainwright holds the ball, and now he lets it fling
And now the crowd is screaming because Beltran doesn't swing.

Oh, somewhere in this favoured land the sun is shining bright,
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light;
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout,
But there is no joy in Metsville—mighty Beltran has struck out.

Copyright © Michael A. Burstein

Date: 2006-10-20 02:06 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] delkytlar.livejournal.com
Nicely done, though I wish it had a different ending. My I share it with my fan friends?

BTW, how is it that on my Friends page, I see your usual atomic user pic, but when I view this post on its own, I see a Mets logo instead?

Date: 2006-10-20 02:08 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mabfan.livejournal.com
Feel free to share this anywhere, but I'd appreciate a link back here and appropriate credit.

As for the icon difference, I inaugurated the Mets icon (my first new icon, ever) for this post, as a post-post edit. It should show up on your Friends-page as well now if you reload.

Date: 2006-10-20 02:11 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] delkytlar.livejournal.com
It did appear now. I just inaugurated my own Mets logo pic a couple of days ago.

I'll actually have to print the poem out for one or two Luddite fans, but I'll happily throw you a link from my blog as well.

Date: 2006-10-20 02:14 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mabfan.livejournal.com
If you're just printing it there's no need for a link back. :-)

Date: 2006-10-20 02:06 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] docorion.livejournal.com
That's very good! Can I link to it from my journal?

Date: 2006-10-20 02:10 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mabfan.livejournal.com
Absolutely! Feel free to repost it even if you want, but with a link back as well.

Date: 2006-10-20 02:38 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mabfan.livejournal.com
Thank you!

Date: 2006-10-20 02:24 pm (UTC)
sdelmonte: (Default)
From: [personal profile] sdelmonte
I think "mighty Carlos" would work better, but otherwise quite funny.

Oh, and Wait Till Next Year!

Date: 2006-10-20 02:39 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mabfan.livejournal.com
I chose "Beltran" for the alliteration in the title, and the scansion of "Beltran's" as opposed to "Carlos's."

Date: 2006-10-20 02:40 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] delkytlar.livejournal.com
"Mighty Carlos" would be too vague after a short time. Right now, everyone knows it was Beltran, but a short time from now folks will be going "Beltran or Delgado?"

It reminds me of a thought I had at a recent Mets game. Does anyone think about the feelings of the Jose for whom the crowd doesn't sing?

Date: 2006-10-20 06:11 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] norda.livejournal.com
THANK YOU.

I've been singing the Jose song towards my TV for Mister Valentin, even though he can't hear me.

Date: 2006-10-20 06:55 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] delkytlar.livejournal.com
My son and I do a little "Carlos, Carlos, Carlos" song for both of those guys.

Date: 2006-10-20 02:38 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ninjaslug.livejournal.com
Well done!

There's always next year!

Date: 2006-10-20 02:39 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mabfan.livejournal.com
Thank you! Although Thayer really did most of the work...

Date: 2006-10-20 04:29 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] quarkwiz.livejournal.com
May I post a link in [livejournal.com profile] newyorkers? There are some sad people there today who might like to read it.

Date: 2006-10-20 04:31 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mabfan.livejournal.com
By all means! Link away!

Date: 2006-10-20 04:40 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] quarkwiz.livejournal.com
Done! Thank you. :-) (And I borrowed your icon just for today, with credit.)

Date: 2006-10-20 04:45 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mabfan.livejournal.com
Actually, [livejournal.com profile] gnomi made the icon for me. She's good at that sort of thing.

Date: 2006-10-20 04:55 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] quarkwiz.livejournal.com
Yes, she is! It's a nice icon. I've just changed the credit.

Date: 2006-10-20 04:48 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jenwrites.livejournal.com
I saw the subject line and thought this was a Star Trek post! I am such a geek.

Date: 2006-10-20 04:52 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mabfan.livejournal.com
Hmmm..."Chakotay at the Bat"? Not quite sure that works for me...

Now, "Sisko at the Bat." That works.

Date: 2006-10-20 06:09 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] norda.livejournal.com
I am also "full of the sads" today, but this made me smile a bit.

Date: 2006-10-20 06:52 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] girasole.livejournal.com
Simply brilliant. We thank you.
(you know me as LadyHawk, or [profile] kradical's mom)

Date: 2006-10-20 06:56 pm (UTC)
ext_2233: Writing MamaDeb (Default)
From: [identity profile] mamadeb.livejournal.com
Yeah, we were feeling pretty Mudville-like last night.

Date: 2006-10-20 07:09 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jonbaker.livejournal.com
I posted a link on my (little-read) blog ThanBook.

Date: 2006-10-21 12:32 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mgcmarco.livejournal.com
Well done MAB. Now if I could only write, I probably would have written something along the lines of Abbott and Costello's "Who's on First?" routine for the Yankees.

Date: 2006-10-21 01:00 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] bugsybanana.livejournal.com
Well, Valentin doesn't really rhyme with in, but otherwise it's well executed.

In his defense, that was a criminally good curveball.

Date: 2006-10-21 04:09 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dianora2.livejournal.com
You are awesome.

Date: 2006-10-26 04:21 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] meryddian.livejournal.com
Really lovely poem. Not very often one sees sports poetry these days... just a marvellous piece, thank you!

Date: 2006-10-28 11:30 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] captainsblog.livejournal.com
Just found a link to this poesy on one of the finer Met sites over on that Blogger thing. I've added you to the friendslist of my general-mess-of-life blog here on LJ, but I've also got my Met musings sorted into the house of [livejournal.com profile] metphistopheles, where my most recent, and more fondly recalled, attempt at poetry adaptation was this:

The Ballad of Billy the Kid

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