He arrives!

photo by Tony Gutierrez - AP

All hail the controllable fastball with arm side run. I certainly do.

Age: 21 years and 3 months.

The time you won your town the race
We chaired you through the market-place;
Man and boy stood cheering by,
And home we brought you shoulder-high.

-A.E. Houseman

Then Out Spoke Brave Neftali
by Thomas Babington Macaulay, with an assist from me.

XXVI.

The Rangers fan's brow was sad, and the Rangers fan's speech was low,
And darkly looked he at the past, and darkly at the foe.
"Their nine will be upon us, as always as before;
And if they even take the field, what hope can be in store?"

XXVII.

Then out spoke brave Neftali, Captain of the bullpen gate:
"To every man upon this earth, defeat cometh soon or late;
And how can man lose better than facing fearful odds,
For the ashes of his fathers, in this temple of baseball gods,

XXVIII.

And for the tender mother who gave his first wiffle bat,
And for the wife who cheers and wears the "T" upon her hat,
And for the holy maidens who love the grand old game,
To save them from steroid users, that wrought the deeds of shame?

XXIX.

Hoe down in the stands, Sir Fan, with all the clamor ye may!
I, with two more to help me, will throw the strikes which slay.
From yon high mound, a thousand may well be stopped by three:
Now, who will stand on either hand and throw the strikes with me?'

XXX.

Then out spake Derek Holland; an Ohioan proud was he:
"Lo, I will stand at thy right hand and throw the strikes with thee."
And out spake Martin Perez; of Venezuelan blood was he:
"I will abide on thy left side, and throw the strikes with thee."

XXXI.

"Neftali," quoth the Rangers fan, "as thou sayest, so let it be."
And straight against that great array forth went the dauntless Three.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

These stanzas, as written in the original poem.
Complete original poem: "Horatius."