Base-Ball Ballads/The Song of the Base Hit
THE SONG OF THE BASE HIT.
A twist, a whirl, and a sudden jar,And off from the bat to the field afar—Off like the shot from a ten-inch gun,A gray-white streak through the slanting sun I soar away Through a summer's day Where the frantic fielders of the fray, With dervish dance And anguished glance, Come whirling in to cop me; But I glide between With a mocking mien And there is none to stop me.
A shout, a roar, and a ringing cheer,And on my way through the atmosphereI leap to the light where clenched hands gripAs wild eyes watch me fly or skip Through open space In headlong race, As the joy of the ages lights each face And pulses jump With a vibrant thump As the sky reels from the roar, And the rafters ring With the song I sing To the tune of the winning score!
The song I sing is the sweetest songOr the saddest note to the waiting throngThat the world has known through the ages dim—With keener lilt than a battle hymn, For my refrain Brings joy and pain, Where lost hopes rise and fond hopes wane, And in my path Sweeps a city's wrath Or a city's wild acclaim, And the planet's [sic] ring With the song I sing— The song of a nation's game!