Batter Up!
I see a guy trying to catch a ball. And he's not young either. He's not no Babe Ruth. His name is Hank. Hank is on a ladder, just inside the fence trying to catch a ball. Name is Bear. He's down Cherry Road.
Where was the picture taken? Minneapolis or New York. Either one. It's summer or fall, because the trees are green. The grass is kinda burned up. Summer. More big fish bite in the summer. I got that ruled out. Summertime. You play more ball in the summertime. He's trying to catch a baseball.
BASEBALL L L L L. He's trying to catch the ball. I think that's nuts. The ball comes through there and he can't hit it and he can't catch it and he's gonna fall off the ladder and break his leg.
I'm the opposite. I think he will catch it. He's 75 years old. 75. He's older than me. I'm 66. He's gotta be 75 or more. Just looking at his beard and he just looks shaky. A mitt on his hand. A bear on his shirt.
He's got a ball. BULL! He ain't got it yet. It's flying in the air, the ball is. He climbed up the ladder. Yeah. He climbed up there. He's in a ball park. By himself? Nope. His teammates are there. One of his girls. (laughter) There are grandchildren there, and other pitchers. And girlfriends. They run the bases. They run around em. Run em. Crowds sit on the bleachers. All day long. I think she has been to a few ball games. Did you see a lot of bases? Yup. I've stole a lot of bases. I was a good player.
410 is on the fence. The number on the fence I guess. I wouldn't have any idea. 410 means ball game. I don't know what it means. Where else are they gonna put em? It's the number of the ball field. Who calls somebody on the ball game plate? The umpire. That's the way I picked em. That's my girl. Who's your girl? (everyone sings) "Let's go out to the baseball game. Let's go out to the crowd. Root toot toot! Cracker Jack. I don't care if I ever get back. If they don't win you'll never get back!"
That's right. Yeah, that's how we want to end it!
Written on January 24, 2008 by:
George, Faye, Helen, Doris, Ellen Staff who assisted: Marlys, Noreen, Liz, Jenny, Renee, Melissa, Kathy
The Malloy 3North Storytellers are from the Iowa Veterans home in Marshalltown.
