The Night Game (poem)

Last updated
The Night Game
by Robert Pinsky
LanguageEnglish
Subject(s)
Publisher Ecco Press
Publication date1990

"The Night Game" is a poem written by Robert Pinsky. It was published as part of his book The Want Bone in 1990. The poem's title refers to baseball night games, alluding to Pinsky's love of the game. It is a love poem in which he uses baseball to describe a young romance. [1]

Contents

Overview

The first few stanzas of the poem refer to Whitey Ford, Hall of Fame left-handed pitcher for the New York Yankees. Pinsky describes Ford, with his blond "halo"-like hair and the name "Ed Ford", as "aristocratic" in comparison to the "Italian, Jewish or Colored". Later in the poem, he says "Possibly I believed only gentiles / And blonds could be left-handed". [2]

In the final stanza of the poem, Pinsky refers to another left-hander, "Even more gifted / Than Whitey Ford", that he devised during a date with a young girl. The left-hander alluded to is Sandy Koufax, Hall of Fame pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who, like Pinsky, is Jewish and who, as noted in the last line of the poem, did not pitch on Yom Kippur when it fell on Game 1 of the 1965 World Series. [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Invictus</span> Poem by William Ernest Henley

"Invictus" is a short poem by the Victorian era British poet William Ernest Henley (1849–1903). Henley wrote it in 1875, and in 1888 he published it in his first volume of poems, Book of Verses, in the section titled "Life and Death (Echoes)".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandy Koufax</span> American baseball player (born 1935)

Sanford Koufax, nicknamed "the Left Arm of God", is an American former baseball pitcher who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers from 1955 to 1966. Widely regarded as one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history, Koufax was the first three-time winner of the Cy Young Award, each time winning unanimously and the only pitcher to do so when a single award was given for both the leagues; he was also named the National League Most Valuable Player in 1963. Retiring at the age of 30 due to chronic pain in his pitching elbow, Koufax was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 1972 at the age of 36, the youngest player ever elected.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richie Ashburn</span> American baseball player and broadcaster

Don Richard Ashburn, also known by the nicknames "Putt-Putt", "the Tilden Flash", and "Whitey", was an American professional baseball player and television sports commentator. He played in Major League Baseball as a center fielder from 1948 to 1962, most prominently as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies where, he was a four-time All-Star player, and was a member of the 1950 National League pennant winning team known as the Whiz Kids.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Quisenberry</span> American baseball player (1953-1998)

Daniel Raymond Quisenberry, nicknamed "Quiz", was an American right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played primarily for the Kansas City Royals. Notable for his submarine-style pitching delivery and his humorous quotes, he led the American League in saves a record five times. Quisenberry retired in 1990 with 244 saves, then the fifth-highest total in major league history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warren Spahn</span> American baseball player (1921–2003)

Warren Edward Spahn was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). A left-handed pitcher, Spahn played in 1942 and then from 1946 until 1965, most notably for the Boston Braves, who became the Milwaukee Braves after the team moved west before the 1953 season. His baseball career was interrupted by his military service in the United States Army during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitey Ford</span> American baseball player (1928–2020)

Edward Charles "Whitey" Ford, nicknamed "the Chairman of the Board", was an American professional baseball pitcher who played his entire 16-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the New York Yankees. He was a 10-time All-Star and six-time World Series champion. In 1961, he won both the Cy Young Award and World Series Most Valuable Player Award. Ford led the American League (AL) in wins three times and in earned run average twice. He is the Yankees franchise leader in career wins (236), shutouts (45), innings pitched, and games started by a pitcher. Ford was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lefty Gomez</span> American baseball player (1908–1989)

Vernon Louis "Lefty" Gomez was an American professional baseball player. A left-handed pitcher, Gomez played in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1930 and 1943 for the New York Yankees and the Washington Senators. Gomez was a five-time World Series champion with the Yankees. He was also known for his colorful personality and humor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitey Herzog</span> American baseball player and manager (1931–2024)

Dorrel Norman Elvert "Whitey" Herzog was an American professional baseball outfielder and manager, most notable for his Major League Baseball (MLB) managerial career.

<i>61*</i> 2001 television film by Billy Crystal

61* is a 2001 American sports drama television film directed by Billy Crystal and written by Hank Steinberg. It stars Barry Pepper as Roger Maris and Thomas Jane as Mickey Mantle on their quest to break Babe Ruth's 1927 single-season home run record of 60 during the 1961 season of the New York Yankees. The film first aired on HBO on April 28, 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eppa Rixey</span> American baseball player (1891-1963)

Eppa Rixey Jr., nicknamed "Jephtha", was an American baseball player who played 21 seasons for the Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds in Major League Baseball from 1912 to 1933 as a left-handed pitcher. Rixey was best known as the National League's leader in career victories for a left-hander with 266 wins until Warren Spahn surpassed his total in 1959.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Kaat</span> American baseball player and analyst (born 1938)

James Lee Kaat is an American former professional baseball player and television sports commentator. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a left-handed pitcher for the Washington Senators / Minnesota Twins (1959–1973), Chicago White Sox (1973–1975), Philadelphia Phillies (1976–1979), New York Yankees (1979–1980), and St. Louis Cardinals (1980–1983). His playing career spanned 25 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Pierce</span> American baseball player (1927-2015)

Walter William Pierce was an American starting pitcher in Major League Baseball between 1945 and 1964 who played most of his career for the Chicago White Sox. He was the team's star pitcher in the decade from 1952 to 1961, when they posted the third best record in the major leagues, and received the Sporting News Pitcher of the Year Award for the American League (AL) in 1956 and 1957 after being runner-up in both 1953 and 1955. A seven-time All-Star, he led the American League (AL) in complete games three times despite his slight build, and in wins, earned run average (ERA) and strikeouts once each. He pitched four one-hitters and seven two-hitters in his career, and on June 27, 1958 came within one batter of becoming the first left-hander in 78 years to throw a perfect game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Gullett</span> American baseball player (1951–2024)

Donald Edward Gullett was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher from 1970 through 1978. He was a member of the Cincinnati Reds Big Red Machine dynasty that won four National League pennants and two World Series championships between 1970 and 1976. Gullett was also a member of the New York Yankees teams that won two consecutive World Series championships in 1977 and 1978.

"Adam's Curse" is a poem written by William Butler Yeats. In the poem, Yeats describes the difficulty of creating something beautiful. The title alludes to the Book of Genesis, evoking the fall of man and the separation of work and pleasure. Yeats originally included the poem in the volume In the Seven Woods, published in 1903.

Yankeeography is a biography-style television program that chronicles the lives and careers of the players, coaches, and other notable personnel associated with the New York Yankees Major League Baseball team. The series is aired on the YES Network and is produced by MLB Productions. The series is hosted by Yankees radio personality John Sterling. The series has earned five New York Sports Emmy Awards since its inception. In addition to airing on YES, MLB Productions has packaged many of the shows into DVD boxed sets.

<i>The Bronx Is Burning</i> 2007 television mini-series about the 1977 New York Yankees

The Bronx Is Burning is a television drama that debuted on ESPN on July 10, 2007, after the 2007 MLB Home Run Derby. It is an eight-episode mini-series adapted from Jonathan Mahler's best-selling book, Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning. The book focuses on baseball's triumph over the turmoil and hysteria of 1977 New York City and how the New York Yankees came to embody the hopes and fears of an unforgettable summer with Billy Martin and Reggie Jackson's warfare under George Steinbrenner's leadership.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Sullivan (baseball)</span> American baseball player (1930-2016)

Franklin Leal Sullivan, was an American professional baseball right-handed pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, and Minnesota Twins over parts of eleven seasons, spanning 1953–1963. Sullivan was named to the American League (AL) All-Star team, in 1955 and 1956, and was elected to the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame, in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Kuzava</span> American baseball player (1923-2017)

Robert Leroy "Sarge" Kuzava was an American professional baseball player, a left-handed pitcher for the Cleveland Indians (1946–1947), Chicago White Sox (1949–1950), Washington Senators (1950–1951), New York Yankees (1951–1954), Baltimore Orioles (1954–1955), Philadelphia Phillies (1955), Pittsburgh Pirates (1957) and St. Louis Cardinals (1957). He was born in Wyandotte, Michigan and attended St. Patrick High School. In 2003, Kuzava was inducted into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1960 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (second game)</span>

The second 1960 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 29th playing of Major League Baseball's annual midsummer exhibition game. The game took place at Yankee Stadium in New York City, home of the American League's New York Yankees. The National League won the game by a score of 6–0. The National League hit four home runs, tying an All-Star Game record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1955 Major League Baseball All-Star Game</span>

The 1955 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 22nd playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League (AL) and National League (NL), the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 12, 1955, at Milwaukee County Stadium, the home of the Milwaukee Braves of the National League.

References

  1. Pollitt, Katha (August 18, 1996). "Wonder of Worlds". The New York Times .
  2. 1 2 "Poetry: World Series". PBS News Hour . October 22, 2002.

Further reading