The Knuckleball Poem

I write from Veteran's Field - Cape Code League,

Pondering the knuckleball's rare intrigue.

The pitch that floats, flutters, dips and dances,

Wakefield, Dickey careers found second chances.

 

Hoyt, Wood and Bouton used their fingernails,

Fooling hitters, "Ball Four" and other tales.

Baseball, measured by radar guns and speed,

The knuckleball pitcher, a special breed.

 

Knowledge passed down like The Da Vinci Code,

Hough and Niekro wise men on this lone road.

As last resort, most discover the pitch late,

Launching a ball with no spin, seldom straight.

 

Humble thinkers and tinkerers known for their knuckleball niche,

Renaissance men who throw baseball's most difficult pitch.

 

Richard C. Welch, Jr.

August 5, 2018

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