The following short poems is one of my all time favorites. It was written by George Ellard in the 1800's.
We used no mattress on our hands,
No cage upon our face
We stood right up and caught the ball
With courage and with grace.
Mr Ellard was a member of the undefeated 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings. In his early baseball poem, Mr. Ellard refers to the fact that catchers in baseball used neither a glove nor a facemask. Playing catcher required courage and talent. The game of slow pitch softball we play today also requires courage and talent..especially if you are a pitcher.Team Geritol dedicates their version of Mr. Ellard's poem to Chief James, who in his previous lifetime, pitched. Then along came Zilla and The Chief, with a sigh of relief, moved behind the plate. To honor those early days of reluctant courage,...we dedicate this borrowed adaptation of Mr. Ellard's classic.
A cup upon his family jewels
And pads protecting both his shins
He pitched that ball and backed right up
To where the outfield grass begins.