“It’s a pretty good team,”
Said young Gerald McGreen,
“And the fellow who runs it
Must like it, it seems.
But if I ran the team,”
Said young Gerald McGreen,
“I’d make a few changes. I’d change the whole scheme.”
“The batters and pitchers and that kind of stuff
They have up here now are not quite good enough.
You see things like these on any old squad.
They’re awfully oldfashioned. I want to be awed!”
“So I’d empty the bench, I’ll fire the ‘pen,
Let the pretenders go and start over again.
And somehow or other I think I could find
Some bats and some balls of a more unusual kind.”
“A four-seamed fastball can be easy to hit,
The guys on my team will throw eight to the mitt.
Four seams over top and four more down below.
Then people will stare, and say, ‘Look at it go!’
My New Team, McGreen’s Team, will make people talk.
My new team, McGreen’s team, will make people gawk.”
“They’ll be so surprised they’ll mumble and groan,
They’ll ask when they see the strange pitches get thrown,
‘Did he make that pitch up or was he just shown?’”
“If you want to win games you don’t normally do,
You have to try pitches, and more than a few
You have to try swings no others can think of
You have to think inside and outside the glove
I’ll pitch ‘em with one hand, I’ll pitch ‘em with two,
I’ll hit ‘em with arms and legs and elbows, too.”
“I’ll call up five catchers and play only one,
Make the other four chase raindrops in the sun
I’ll string up acronyms like BABIP and xRUN
Put ‘em on the scoreboard to show ‘em we won.”
“And then I’ll let go of the manager, too.
Get rid of the gum and pine tar and chew.
Then people will say, ‘Now I like that boy heaps.
His New Team, McGreen Team, is growing by leaps.
He pitches them strong, he pitches them weak,
He pitches inside, a whole new technique.
What do you suppose he will pitch them next week?’”
“In the far middle part
In ‘Leigh, Carolina
Lives a mostly-unknown player who’s even much finer.
He throws with his left and he sings like a swan
And on his back I’ll stitch the last name Rodon.
When people see him they will say, ‘Now, by thunder!
This New Team, McGreen Team, is really a wonder!’”
“Stop? Well, I should. But not ‘til I cling
The city’s first ever gold World Series Ring.
The world’s finest trophy, owned by no Clark,
That sometimes resides in a city with an Arch.
And boy! When I get it back home to my park,
The whole world will say, ‘Young McGreen’s made his mark.’”
Astros @ Angels Series Preview
STARTERS
Monday, 5/19/2014 – LA Angels of Anaheim Ballpark in Southern California, USA, The World – 9pm
Dallas Keuchel (4-2) vs Garrett Richards (4-0)
Tuesday, 5/20/2014 – Same
Scott Feldman (2-1) vs Tyler Skaggs (3-1)
Wednesday, 5/21/2014 – Same
Redbeard McHugh (2-2) vs Jered Weaver (4-3)
PROMOTIONS CAPTION CONTEST
Tuesday – Albert Pujols Gnome “Given to the first 20,000 fans to lie about their age.”
Wednesday – Albert Pujols “500 HR” Bobblehead “Given to every current- and ex-Astros pitchers.”
INJURIES
Angels
Brasier – Head
Burnett – Shoulders
Calhoun – Knees
De La Rosa – And
Freese – Toes
Hamilton – Knees
Moran – And
Stewart – Toes
Astros
Albers – Right shoulder tendinitis (June)
Bass – Right intercostal strain (late May)
Cisnero – Right elbow discomfort (TJS – 2015)
Crain – Biceps (June)
Villar – Right hand contusion (maybe this series)
White – TJS (May)
Wojciechowski – Right lat strain (TBD)
PREDICTIONS
Bud Selig will attend the bobblehead ceremony, just because.
McHugh will continue his fall to earth.
Astros lose series, 1-2.
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