The Pecan Park Eagle

 

A Nash Note. One more brilliant Ogden Nash quote.He said it about ketchup, but I think he intended it for writers about writer’s block, an affliction. It goes like this:

“Shake, shake the ketchup bottle.

None will come.

And then a lot’ll.”

 

An Alphabetical Take on the 2018 Houston Astros:

And a Very Deferential Homage to My Ogden Nash Hero

By Bill McCurdy

 

A is for the Astros

And our A-Team city, Houston.

Altuve is the very best

And we never stop our boostin’.

 

B is for our Buffalos

And Baseball on the Bayou.

And all that kept the dream alive

O’er the years of feint tear sigh-oh.

 

C is for our short-lived Colts

And the Captain Craft who led them.

And Courteous we all shall be

To the Courage Fire he tread them.

 

D is for the Details

We shall bear in mind forever.

Determination, our apt starter

Is for keeps; there is no barter.

 

E is for the Excellence

We seek in every season.

Just watch Jose Altuve play.

There is no other reason.

 

F is for the Fan Support

That shows up, rain or shine.

Fans don’t wait for bands to play

To find their place in line.

 

G is for how Great it is,

A 4-3 out at first.

Gurriel grins in two-armed shout.

We’ve finally quenched our thirst.

 

H is for our Happiness

To feel a joy that lasts.

One that fills each crevice

Of Disappointments Past.

 

I is for the Independence

Winning finally brings

From “what if” thoughts and sealing wax

Or cabbages and kings.

 

J is for that Justin guy

Who maybe gets “V” too.

He came here from the Tigers

And he honed his sharp claws blue.

 

K is for J’s partners,

Dallas Keuchel and Hudson, Kate.

The first one is J’s trusty work-bud,

The other his beautiful life-date.

 

L is for Loose and Loyal,

The nature of the Astros Beast.

It’s the stuff they are fed by their skipper.

And, oh yeah. – A.J. Hinch is also the yeast.

 

M is for how the Astros’ demand and supply

In players is Measured, Met, and Maintained.

Yes, Jeff Luhnow Analytics gets the job done.

Only the Sox, Yanks, and Bums have complained.

 

N is for the New ‘Stros that join us

Now yearning to play with the best.

Cole, Rondon, and Gose are upon us.

We’ll just have to wait for the rest.

 

O is for great Others who’ve been Astros Over Time.

Dierker, Wynn, and Cruz – Watson, Niekro, and Puhl.

Cedeno, Richard, and Scott – Ryan, Clemens, and Oswalt.

Biggio, Bagwell, and Bergman. – Other names are worthy too.

 

P is for the Passion that we Astros fans bear with us.

We risk the bruise of win or lose. – We love it all about us.

‘Cause now we’ve won and know the fun of winning;

It out-shouts us!

 

Q is for the Quality of Owner James R. Crane.

We could not have picked a better man to back a winning reign.

A logistic genius for moving complexity over time and space

Is now the owner of the World Series Champs. – Go figure.

 

R is for the Ratchet sound of this year’s expectation.

The growing chant of “back-to-back” fills all of Astros Nation.

Like all things hoped for in this life – there is no vaccination.

Ratchet all you want, my friends. – And risk Hope’s dissipation.

 

S is for the Summer Time. – By then we’ll know our chances

Of playing in the Show again – with a club that time enhances.

Arms of iron and bats of steel – now working hard in tandem,

Time by then – to know for sure – last season was not random.

 

T is just for Time Itself. – How long the Astros waited

To bring home victory’s bacon – to appetites so long baited.

But when they finally did it – on the famous 4 to 3

It saved that simple second – as joy – eternally.

 

U is for the fans called Us – whose loyalty is endless

At least, in human terms it is – our given hearts are boundless

So when you see us missing – as one day all must go

Keep watching for help invisibly – because you never know.

 

V is again for Verlander – because Victory is his brand

He brought it here to Houston – and taught our kids to stand.

And now he’s back to polish up – the reprise of that plan

By taking off from Opening Day – as a full year Astros Man.

 

W is for Winning – Winning Big – and Winning Twice.

We know the sour of losing – and Winning’s our sweet spice.

So bring out the flags on Opening Day – and let the Eagle fly.

Let’s “Go For Broke”, All Astros! – The big jets just flew by!

 

X is for the little eXtra thing – that each of us might do

To make each day more powerful – and satisfying too.

If each Astro improves even one small thing daily in 2018

Watch out for the result. – Do you know what I mean?

 

Y is the “You” that all of us see – when we look in the mirror.

The 2017 Astros could look in the mirror and translate JFK:

“Ask not what your ball club can do for you.

“Ask what you can do for your ball club.”

 

Z is for the Zenith that winning needs to be

Winning in full passion and ability – sometimes incredibly.

Knowing that we gave our all – whatever that may be

The 2017 Astros hugged The Zenith like an old friend.

 

 

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