The Great Escape and Poetry (One Day Early)

Tomorrow I leave for (gulp) upstate New York. Yes, I did write a post on February 1st entitled Snowflakes on My Mind (and in My Books). What was I thinking?! My son will finally get all the snow he's been dreaming of, and on his birthday, no less. Happy 6th birthday, little man! So as we prepare to make our great escape to the hinterlands, I pray that Lake Ontario will turn off the snow-making machine long enough for us to enjoy some time with family and get in and out safely.

While we pack winter clothes (I can't tell you the last time I actually wore boots) and prepare for snow that reaches above the first floor windows on my parent's house, I dream of baseball, and hope that the advent of spring training brings warmth and eternal sunshine. The last time I flew, I bought a copy of Heat by Mike Lupica and read it in its entirety on the plane. I loved it. As someone who drives by the Little League Hall of Fame on every trip home to Rochester, this book found a special place in my heart. In western New York there are two AAA teams, the Rochester Red Wings and the Buffalo Bisons. However, growing up, I loved any team my older brother hated. It just made life more fun to root against him (see the annoying little sister comment in my profile). So, while he cheered for the Yankees, I cheered for the Cleveland Indians, and still do, even though I am surrounded by rabid Orioles and Braves fans.

Baseball too has been a great escape for me. I love to listen to the games and picture what's happening, though I like to watch too. I much prefer attending minor league games, just for the intimacy that being in a smaller stadium brings. As Walt Whitman said, "I see great things in baseball," and I also see great things in these terrific books for kids about the sport.

• Teammates by Peter Golenbock - This story describes the hardships faced by Jackie Robinson when he entered the sport, and how the support of one teammate made all the difference.

• Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki - A young Japanese-American boy in an internment camp finds that baseball gives a purpose in life and a way of passing the time. His triumph in a game played while interned helps him when he returns home to play baseball again.
  

• In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Bette Bao Lord - A young Chinese girl emigrates to America in 1947, where she learns to play stickball and becomes a fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers.

• Just Like Josh Gibson by Angela Johnson - In the 1940s, a die-hard Josh Gibson fan teaches his daughter to play baseball.

• Mighty Jackie: The Strikeout Queen by Marissa Moss - Based on the true story of an exhibition game the Yankees played against the Chatanooga Lookouts in 1931, this book tells the story of their female pitcher, Jackie Mitchell, who faced both Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.

• Mama Played Baseball, by David Adler - When Amy's father goes off to fight in World War II, her mother takes a job as a professional baseball player.

• Players in Pigtails by Shana Corey - Katie Casey steps in to play professional baseball when the male players are called to war.
  

• Dirt on Their Skirts: The Story of the Young Women Who Won the World Championship by Doreen Rappaport - Based on written accounts and historical interviews, this book tells the story of the 1946 championship game of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
  

In honor of the grand old game, here is my Poetry Friday entry, just a wee bit early.

Line-Up for Yesterday by Ogden Nash

A is for Alex
The great Alexander;
More Goose eggs he pitched
Than a popular gander.

B is for Bresnahan
Back of the plate;
The Cubs were his love,
and McGraw his hate.

C is for Cobb,
Who grew spikes and not corn,
And made all the basemen
Wish they weren't born.

D is for Dean,
The grammatical Diz,
When they asked, Who's the tops?
Said correctly, I is.

E is for Evers,
His jaw in advance;
Never afraid
To Tinker with Chance.

Read the rest here.

You can read more baseball poetry at the Baseball Almanac.
Have a good weekend, all. I'll be back on Tuesday.