Ogden Nash - Lineup for Yesterday, Part 3

I have a pair of books that I recieved as gifts a few years back that are more modern takes on this poem (though nowhere is Ogden Nash given any credit). For the Love of Baseball and For the Love of of the Red Sox were written and illustrated by Frederick C. Klein and Mark Anderson. The writing doesn't approach the quality of Nash's though the illustrations more than make up for this deficiency. They are drawn with a light, carnival-esque caricature style that fits the tone of the book perfectly. Amazon.com has a whole series of these available for other teams and other sports.

And now back to Ogden Nash for the rest of Lineup for Yesterday:

R is for Ruth.

To tell you the truth,

There's just no more to be said,

Just R is for Ruth.

S is for Speaker,

Swift center-field tender,

When the ball saw him coming,

It yelled, "I surrender."

T is for Terry

The Giant from Memphis

Whose .400 average

You can't overemphis.

U would be 'Ubell

if Carl were a cockney;

We say Hubbell and Baseball

Like Football and Rockne.



V is for Vance

The Dodger's very own Dazzy;

None of his rivals

Could throw as fast as he.

W is for Wagner,

The bowlegged beauty;

Short was closed to all traffic

With Honus on duty.



X is the first

of two x's in Foxx

Who was right behind Ruth

with his powerful soxx.

Y is for Young

The magnificent Cy;

People battled against him,

But I never knew why.

Z is for Zenith

The summit of fame.

These men are up there.

These men are the game.

Image Key:

1. Babe Ruth – 1933 Goudey Sport Kings R338
2. Tris Speaker – 1911 Close Candy E94
3. Bill Terry – 1933 Delong R333
4. Carl Hubbell – 1941 Goudey
5. Clarence (Dazzy) Vance – 1931 Exhibit Supply Co. W517
6. Honus Wagner – 1910 Mello-Mint E105
7. Jimmy Foxx – 1933 US Caramel R328
8. Cy Young – 1910 Sporting Life M117