The 9th, And Final?, Inning- A Dukes' Tale

In 2008, I began writing an annual poem about the baseball team that plays within the friendly confines of my head.  I published these poems on Good Friday each year to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus.

Now, that it is 2016, it is time to publish the 9th poem about the Dukes.  Seeing that a baseball game generally lasts 9 innings, my intent is for this poem to be the final installment of poems about the Dukes.  Of course, just as baseball game sometimes goes more than nine innings, I reserve the right to take this collection of poems into extra innings in the future.

Having said that, please enjoy THE 9TH, AND FINAL?, INNING.

Peace

A collection of all nine poems is available here.

Also, a few years ago, I put the adventures of the Dukes into novel form.  You can read that tale, THE GAMBLE, here.

The 9th, and Final?, Inning

For the Dukes, the ninth inning is the best one of all

Win or lose, it gives closure to one and to all

At times, it goes quickly three up and three down

The Dukes seal a win ‘gainst some visiting clowns

Of course, there are times when a big lead is lost

A ninth inning comeback...defeat is the cost

Then, there is the flip side

Dukes come from behind

And pull out a win

Victory’s sight to the blind

That’s probably the best for those

There at the end

A walk-off surprise they can share with a friend

Indeed in the ninth, clocks are usually late

A sleepy ride home for the patient awaits

Yet, bed time or not, they hold on in their seats

To savor the game, every pitch is a treat

Will it go to the tenth? There’s a chance that could be

11 or 12?  More free baseball to see.

As long as the Dukes have a pitch left to throw

As long as their bats have more outs left you know

The faithful will be there as loud as can be

Past midnight until even 2:23.

c2016 Mike Tauser

Regardless of the Scoreboard- Real Grace Reflection (Special Edition)

As the poet of the Farmstros Village, I established a tradition of creating and posting a poem about a fictitious baseball team known as the Dukes every Good Friday. I enjoyed being able to share these poems with my readers as a way to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus.  When I departed the Farmstros offices, I wasn't sure if Dukes baseball would continue to be a part of my experience. I hoped it would.

As I discovered last spring, the Dukes are still playing baseball in the recesses of my imagination. This year's attempt to describe their exploits has been intermingled with another project currently dwelling in my cranium. As a result, the most recent Dukes poem, Regardless of the Scoreboard, is also a reflection on L.O.M.T.'s 2015 theme, REAL GRACE.

Regardless of the Scoreboard

It seemed a normal season

When the first game rolled around

Nobody saw it coming

It arrived without a sound

To some it looked like magic

That descended on the team

To others, it appeared the Dukes

Were living out a dream

There was a buzz around the team’s

Each pitch, each hit, each throw

And as the season moved along

The humming, it did grow

They did things well each night and day

They played with style and grace

And even when the Dukes did fall

They got back in the race

The Spring turned into Summer

And the Dukes maintained their roll

The fans came to the ballpark and

Cheered with their hearts and soul

They sat on edge for each pitch

Inning one to inning nine

Regardless of the scoreboard they knew

That their Dukes would be fine

A few folks were quite doubtful

They were sure good times would end

“It’s coming soon, the Dukes will show

Their face of old, again.”

Indeed, there was a group that “knew” the upswing couldn’t last

They waited for the team to “fail as they’ve done in the past.”

But good times did continue, through the summer into fall

The Dukes hit pot holes time to time

Yet, still they played good ball

Take me out to the ball game

Take me out to the crowd

They are our Dukes, and we’re all in

We can’t help but get loud

They rose and then they grinded

They did work as best they could

They nibbled on the corners

And when needed, swung the wood

The season ended leaving all the Dukes fans wanting more

They headed home and hoped for what the future had in store.

 c2015 by Mike Tauser

For your convenience here are links to the first seven installments:

The Golden Sombrero Wearer(2008)

Three Day Journey From Worst to First(2009)

The Second Baseman Rides into the Sunset(2010)

Ballpark Time Machine(2011)

The Sword Bellied Dukes Fans' Shirts Held Scimitars(2012)

#DukesForFree

"A" League West World

What Would a Hobbit Do? Give His Book Away for Free

At least a few of my descendants must have been hobbits, because I have decided to celebrate my birthday by giving away my book THE GAMBLE for free.  This promotion has expired.

More information about purchasing The Gamble can be found here.

Please consider telling a friend about this story.  Thanks.

If you have any difficulty, contact me via email at farmstros@yahoo.com.

Read more about The Gamble here.

The Gamble- The Season The Local Brewer Bet Against the Dukes

The whole town sat on edge.  Would the Dukes avoid 100 losses and win their fans free beer? The question remained unanswered until the final day of the "A" League season.  The nation's eyes were on Dukes Stadium as the teams took the field for what would be the most memorable season finale in franchise history.  

Read about The Season The Local Brewer Bet Against the Dukes now.  This original novella inspired by a true story is available through Lulu.

As an online book(PDF)- $2.39  

As a paper back book- $7.50

Thanks for considering this creative effort.  Please tell your friends, family and anyone you know who enjoys a good story about it.

Previous posts about The Gamble

Andy Van Hekken is a 20-Game Winner

Andy Van Hekken, 35, became the first left-hander since 1995 to win 20 games in a season in the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO). According to @BaseballinKorea on Twitter, Lee-sang Hoon was the most recent left-hander to accomplish this feat.

Van Hekken (20-6), who is in his third season with the Nexen Heroes, picked up the milestone victory Tuesday in a 12-4 win over the Lotte Giants.  Tuesday's start should be the final one of the 128-game regular season for Van Hekken.

The play-offs await for Van Hekken and his Nexen teammates.  The Heroes enter the post-season as the KBO's #2 seed, meaning they will receive a first round bye and are scheduled to begin play on October 27.

In three seasons with Nexen, Van Hekken has established himself as one of the top pitchers in Korea.   The Michigan native has collected 43 wins in three seasons overseas.

NOTE: Andy Van Hekken is not related to Mark Van Hekken (illustrated above). However, I had Andy in mind when I named a character in my new book Mark Van Hekken. Mark Van Hekken, also a 20-game winner, is one of the main characters in The Gamble- The Season the Local Brewer Bet Against The Dukes.

Mattress Mac didn't Give Me a Refund Check, but He did give me a Book Idea

Gallery Furniture in Houston gave money back to several hundred of their customers Sunday.  Before the 2014 season, Gallery's owner Jim McIngvale bet that the Astros wouldn't win 63 games (i.e. they WOULD LOSE 100 games).  McIngvale lost this bet as the team won 70 games.

Sunday was McIngavale's day to pay up on the lost wager. Customers who had purchased more than $6300 on furniture during a specified promotional period before the 2014 baseball season received a full refund on their purchase Sunday.  The promotion was limited to the first 500 customers. McIngvale reportedly refunded more than $4.2 million as a result of the lost bet.

I didn't buy any furniture during the promotion, so I didn't get a check from McIngvale Sunday. However, his promotion gave me an idea that, over the course of the 2014 season, grew into my first book.  The Gamble- The Season the Local Brewer Bet Against the Dukes is a tale about the Dukes quest to avoid 100 losses in order to win free beer for their fans.  Without giving too much away, I can tell you that the season's drama is flowing until the final at bat.

You can purchase THE GAMBLE online:

As an online book (pdf)- $2.39

As a paperback- $7.50

The Origins of the Dukes

The Gamble- The Season the Local Brewer Bet Against the Dukes is my first attempt to describe the exploits of the Dukes in prose.  However, I started writing poems about the baseball team that plays within the friendly confines of my cranium during the 2008 season.  You can read the seven poems in my Dukes Collection here.

The Gamble- A Dukes Tale (Coming in October)

This tale is now available for purchase.  Click here for more information.

It promised to be a long and uninteresting season for the Dukes. Another 100-loss campaign seemed inevitable. Football season couldn't come soon enough. Then, the local brewer added a little zest to the season. FREE BEER for all Dukes fans if the team could avoid 100 losses said Roland Fredericks. A beer-induced buzz swept through the town that summer as Dukes fans loudly cheered for beer. Hope for a few more wins flowed out into the streets. The stage was set for the most memorable season finale for a bad baseball team ever!

NOTE: The above illustration is the cover of The Gamble.  The narrator of the tale is telling his daughter a story about a memory from his childhood.

One Perspective on Improvement

Evan Drellich recently pointed out via Twitter that improvement is a matter of perspective.  Here's an excerpt from The Gamble, which is due to be available online in October.  In this excerpt one of the characters shares her perspective on the Dukes' improvement as a baseball team.

A “Hot” Start

There aren’t many benefits that a baseball team receives for losing 100 games two seasons in a row.  One of the few positives is that the bar is set low and it is very easy to make the case that the club is improving in season three.  After losing a total of 207 games over the previous two years, the Dukes’ 23 and 32 record through May was a definite improvement.

My oldest sister would laugh at me when I would talk about the Dukes being improved.  “After how bad they’ve been the last few years, how could they NOT be improved?” she would ask me.  “It’s like my boyfriend forgetting Valentine’s Day and my birthday AND not noticing my new hairstyle, then not understanding why I’m not overcome with joy when he remembers to come pick me up on time for a date. ‘Hey, Babe, I’m improving, why aren’t you excited?’”

Follow The Dukes of the Future

In mid-October, I will be releasing The Gamble- A Dukes Tale online.  The Dukes are a baseball team which has been playing its games within the friendly confines of my cranium for as long as I can remember.  This particular Dukes Tale is set in 1982, the year that a prominent businessman in town made a wager against the Dukes success after back-to-back losing years.

Not surprisingly for a team with consecutive 100-loss seasons, the Dukes make efforts to educate their fans about the brightness of the team's future.  For example, they often focus on prospects who will be, in theory, helping the Dukes win games soon.

Following is an excerpt from the tale, which spotlights the Dukes top 10 prospects as the 1982 season comes to a close.

The Gamble will be available online in October.

On the final homestand of the season, the Dukes gave fans a glimpse of the future on the field with some inspired play.  In addition, to further shine a light on a bright future, the club included an insert in game programs that highlighted the organization’s top 10 prospects. It was exciting to consider what may come of these Dukes of the Future.

#1-  Arden Brady, 22, LHP.  The Dukes acquired this hard-throwing lefty for Mark Van Hekken earlier this season.  Brady and his 99-mph fastball have stepped into the Dukes’ rotation and shown why he should be the club’s ace for years to come.

#2- Spencer Allen, 19, OF.  Allen was unanimously graded as the best player in the June draft.  The Dukes drafted him first over-all and signed him quickly so he could get a half-season of pro ball under his feet.  He started 72 games for the Dukes rookie affiliate in Delray Beach, Florida and hit 27 home runs and displayed a top-notch arm and glove in the field.  Allen will be patrolling the Dukes Stadium outfield with Albert Foote soon.

#3- Tucker Votaw, 22, C.  Votaw was the Dukes first pick in the 1981 draft.  He is rapidly ascending the ladder in the organization.  He finished his first pro season in AA with Beaumont.  Votaw swings a solid bat and his work behind the plate regularly draws favorable comparisons to long-time Dukes backstop Indigo Javier.

#4- Andy Copelin, 22, RHP. The Dukes acquired their closer of the future from the Colts in exchange for Billy Ray Smith in July.  According to scouts, Copelin has one of the best change-ups in the game.  In four seasons in the Colts’ system, Copelin recorded 58 saves in 61 chances.  

#5- Diogenes Chevalier, 20, OF.   The switch-hitting Chevalier is a prototypical lead-off hitter.  He hits for average and has averaged 60 stolen bases a season in the Colts’ system.  Chevalier was also part of the trade that sent Billy Ray Smith to the Colts.

#6- Kunio Tsubota, 21, RHP.  The Dukes signed Tsubota out of Brazil when he was 16.  Tsubota’s parents moved from Japan to Brazil when he was in first grade.  Tsubota throws five pitches effectively.  He spent 1982 at AA Beaumont, winning 16 games.  He could arrive at Dukes Stadium as early as next season.

#7- Todd Howard, 24, LHP.  Howard, a 1979 draft pick, won 13 games as a starter at AAA Santa Fe this season.  He made his “A” League debut as September call-up.

#8- Reid Roberts, 20, 3B.  Roberts was acquired in a trade last season from the Zephyrs.  Displayed power this season with 23 home runs at the Class A level(Edmonton).

#9- Arthur W. Baxter III, 24, LHP.  After missing 1981 with injury, Baxter III put together a solid season this year in Beaumont.  He didn’t miss a start and struck out 150 batters in 140 innings.

#10- Scott “Sparky” Sibernaller, 23, 1B.  A tweaked hamstring in Santa Fe’s season finale is the only thing that kept Sparky from being promoted to the Dukes for September.  Sibernaller was Santa Fe’s team MVP with 104 RBI and a .338 batting average.

"A" League West World

As the poet of the Farmstros Village, I established a tradition of creating and posting a poem about a fictitious baseball team known as the Dukes every Good Friday. I enjoyed being able to share these poems with my readers as a way to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus.  When I departed the Farmstros offices, I wasn't sure if Dukes baseball would continue to be a part of my experience. I hoped it would.

Therefore, it was a pleasant surprise this spring to discover that the Dukes are indeed still playing baseball in 2014. It was an even greater treat to learn that the Dukes' media relations office was willing to grant me access to the club so that I could chronicle their activities once again.

“A” League West World

A slight breeze was blowing on opening day

The foul lines were chalked, the field ready for play

The Dukes had a cutting edge plan for the year

Their strategy I will now try to make clear

Their GM, an egghead, (he’d say, “I’m a geek.”)

Had cobbled a roster completely unique

Each player he’d signed up to don a Dukes’ hat…

Each one was a robot who could throw and bat

“I programmed our players precisely to be

A fantasy team for all our fans to see.

I can’t wait to watch them perform for this town

My formulas show the team won’t let us down.”

The crowds came to watch, and those robots WERE great

They outplayed their rivals both early AND late

They won almost always and lost just a few

Their “A” League opponents knew not what to do

The Dukes were the toast of the nation by June

They had their fans singing a robotic tune:

“We love to watch our Dukes each night,

Inhuman though they are

They win so much we truly call

Each one a superstar

Go robot players, robot players

Round and round to home

You make each play like clockwork

From you our hearts will not roam

We love to watch our cyborg nine

The Masters of The Game

Our love of baseball and the Dukes will never be the same.”

The cheers reached a crescendo in the last week of July

Then August came and in the heat,

The Dukes’ plan went awry

Most people think the circuits overheated in the sun

Whate’er the reason they went south quite quickly one by one

Some ran the bases backwards

Some swung on 3 and 2

The robots were a clinic of the

Things you should not do

They ran through stop signs

Balked and lost

Some ground balls in the light

They missed the cut-off man on throws

From left field and from right

The final straw was broken when

The robots seized the day

And voted that the GM should be sent to Triple A.

Of course, that never happened

As the GM was too smart

To let some robots he’d created

Force him to depart

Before the players had a chance to shove him on that train

He used a gizmo he’d designed to shut down all their brains

Those cyborgs were demoted then before they could do harm

Then quickly were replaced by robots called up from the farm.

c2014 by Mike Tauser

Thanks to my old college classmate at Marquette University Robert Kempe who introduced me to West World 25 years ago

For your convenience here are links to the first six installments:

The Golden Sombrero Wearer(2008)

Three Day Journey from Worst to First(2009)

The Second Baseman Rides into the Sunset(2010)

Ballpark Time Machine(2011)

The Sword-Bellied Dukes' Fans Shirts Held Scimitars(2012)

#DukesForFree(2013)