The Fireballer

by Mark Stevens

“This one landed on Kenmore. It’s up there with Dave Kingman in the record books.”

Accidents are accidents. We didn’t choose to be born into a world where you don’t get to control your own fate. We’re just here. Accidents are a part of this world. Part of the bargain.”

“These clowns?” says Gallo. “They think baseball is a toy for their endless tinkering. They don’t think like you and me.”

People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring. —Hall of Fame hitter, infielder, manager, and coach Rogers Hornsby

Automatic runners are stationed at second base in extra-inning games (another abomination) in order to declare a winner more quickly and not face the prospect of fifteen-inning marathons.

But the top priority should be to banish the designated hitter. It’s not going to happen, but one can dream.