By Olga Zavolovich

McGwire, Sosa, Krassner and Gilmore — home run hitters extraordinaire! McGwire topped Maris and ended 1998 at 70. Sosa was right behind him with 66. But neither has equaled the feats of Jerry Krassner and John Gilmore who, as members of the Foreign Devils over-30 baseball team, have homered in Denmark, Ukraine, and China.

While most Americans enjoy their summer vacations relaxing in splendid bliss, Gilmore and Krassner answer the call of the ump to travel to exotic lands in the pursuit of international baseball. Appropriately named the “Foreign Devils,” over the last few years John and Jerry have tasted the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat in Beijing, Shanghai, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Amsterdam, Kiev, Kirovograd, and Copenhagen. (more…)

By Jane Richard

‘Hmm, there aren’t many people here yet,’ I say to myself, ‘but then I am about two hours early.’ I whip my car around in a u-turn on the quiet side street to snag a spot across the road from the ballpark. No parking meters, no traffic. What bliss. The Giants are at home today, playing Pittsburgh, but a Saturday day game in their new home on the Bay — not the chance of a hot dog in Antarctica of getting a ticket. Could’ve had a spot third row behind the dugout in Oakland, but the A’s have the temerity to be in Chicago. Denied a big league fix, this junkie ends up in Rohnert Park — a minor league sanctuary just twenty road miles from my home in northern Sonoma County, California, but a thousand baseball miles from the major leagues.

I check my cap, grab my backpack containing all the baseball-going essentials: scorebook, mitt, water bottle, sandwich (so as not to have to leave the stands during the game), jacket and fuzzy warm gloves (cold nights are a reality of northern California baseball), and radio — and head across the street to experience the world of minor league ball.

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(originally published in Baseball Ink Vol. 1, No. 3 – December 2000)

By Bennett Oberfeld

The Reds bullpen was full of high fliers
Led by the top flake, lefty Randy Myers
He teamed up with Ron Dibble
For more psyches than Sybil
Plus Norm Charlton, the king of live wires

Bennett Oberfeld has been a die-hard baseball fan for over 30 years, rooting for home town teams starting with the Orioles, to the Cubs, now for the Braves. He has been to 24 of the 30 existing ball parks, but refuses to see a game in Montreal Olympic Stadium or the Metrodome.

(originally published in Baseball Ink Vol. 1, No. 3 – December 2000)

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By Bennett Oberfeld

Roger Craig taught to all the split finger
So that batters would not blast a dinger
If he saw an outsider
Toss a fastball or slider
He was thrown off the team as a ringer

Bennett Oberfeld has been a die-hard baseball fan for over 30 years, rooting for home town teams starting with the Orioles, to the Cubs, now for the Braves. He has been to 24 of the 30 existing ball parks, but refuses to see a game in Montreal Olympic Stadium or the Metrodome.

(originally published in Baseball Ink Vol. 1, No. 3 – December 2000)
For more five-line fun, check out our new Baseball Limericks site!