Rookie in the House

A rookie should be seen but never heard;
It is, and always was, the baseball way.
He goes about his job without a word,
And makes his only statement with his play.

The rookie's fingers call what will be thrown,
Inviting every pitch into his mitt.
He seeks to make the pitcher's game his own,
Then wonders why so many balls are hit.

The rookie's fastball is his calling card;
He tries to blow it by each batter faced.
They always seem to hit it fair and hard--
And with more hits than outs he gets replaced.

The rookie leaves the circle for the box;
Too confident he's ready for The Show.
He's eager for a turn to get his knocks,
So much so that he swings at every throw.

With speedy feet and arms that touch the sky
The rookie reaches far above his head
He thinks that he can bring down every fly
But most balls seem to find the ground instead.

His every on-field action speaking loud
The rookie shows he's eager for his turn.
He wants to be impressive for the crowd;
Instead he proves that he has much to learn.

-- JMag Guthrie - 2018-01-08