Eligibility Day 2
Eligibility Day 2
Tim Peeler
All week I’ve been trying to write a Pete Rose poem,
Maybe claim Pete had been told he would be made
Eligible after his death, maybe question what happened
In Venezuela Winter Ball where he went to play in ‘65
And upon his return to Cincinnati became PETE ROSE.
Instead I went on Reddit or some such platform
To see what fans thought about Charlie Hustle,
And read endless accounts of his being an asshole.
Cursing fans, pushing autograph seeking kids aside.
Calling a returning injured player a cripple.
The ultimate memorabilia mercenary.
It went on and on and on: a hundred jerk stories
For every positive encounter with the MLB hit leader.
I wanted to be happy that he might get in the Hall,
Having seen him play most of his fabulous career.
I wanted to think he had some redeemable qualities.
It was so disgusting; I finally had to quit reading
All that anecdotal evidence so I could write this poem.
Tim Peeler is a retired educator from Hickory, North Carolina. He has written three books of baseball-related poetry, including most recently, Wild in the Strike Zone, a Casey Award Finalist.
Caitlin McPhee is an illustrator and Blue Jays fan based in Calgary, Alberta. Special thanks are owed to the Foothills Major Baseball Association for their influence on this work. See more markers @onewarmline on Instagram.
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