Poetic tribute to John Callison and the Phillies

The National League seemed like a foreign country when I was young. In the days before inter-league play, those N.L. teams existed in some ethereal world, from the standpoint of us American League fans.

Some of the N.L. stars would come to the Twin Cities for exhibition games. We could only see N.L. players on the NBC Game of the Week occasionally. I watched with great interest, realizing what a scarce commodity this was. It's an important principle in marketing: scarcity or the perception of scarcity.
I developed an interest in the Philadelphia Phillies in the mid-1960s. They had a 1964 rookie named Richie (or Dick) Allen who seemed a mirror reflection of our Tony Oliva that year. Then there was John Callison. He was an outfielder with multiple impressive skills. He became a favorite player of mine. He was a favorite of Samuel Alito, today on the U.S. Supreme Court.
I have written a poem in tribute to the late Callison. It begins with the setting of the 1964 All-Star Game. That all-star showcase was in Queens, New York City, at the new Shea Stadium. It's a subject close to my heart because our family was in Queens for the New York World's Fair in the summer of 1964.
Callison was at the apex of his career: he hit a three-run walk-off home run in the ninth to win the game for the Nationals. Does it get any better than that? What a moment of glory for this young man who had grown up in desolate Qualls OK, with parents who used Native American tools.
Here's my poem, beginning with that all-star game. Thanks for reading.
 

Close your eyes and visualize

Baseball stars in Queens

All the best would thump their chest

There in NYC
 

The N.L. team assumed that gleam

Taking charge at Shea

In the ninth they really climbed

It was "bombs away"
 

Score was tight there in the ninth

Each team with four runs

Could the bats reach Dick Radatz?

Could they be like guns?
 

Pitcher Dick was awful slick

In his Red Sox prime

Never cowed when on the mound

He was like fine wine
 

So the N.L. fought like hell

Getting two men on

Now the stakes are really great

For John Callison
 

Johnny had a launching pad

For his Phillies team

He looked at that Dick Radatz

Resolution keen
 

Here's a pitch that scratched the itch

Johnny found his stride

There's a drive hit long to right

Given quite the ride
 

Past the fence that ball was sent

Off that Phillie's bat

Radatz frowned out on the mound

Fans said "How 'bout that?"
 

N.L. grinned with its big win

Walk-off homer style

7 to 4 was the score

On top of the pile
 

Twice before in all-star lore

A walk-off homer rose

Off the bats of two strong cats

Musial, Williams those
 

Now the bat of Callison

Joined the hallowed ranks

Of the guys who mesmerized

Pounding hard like tanks
 

Callison with those big runs

Shone in '64

Fans at Shea proclaimed "hooray"

As the N.L. roared
 

Phillies had a real good chance

Toward the N.L. flag

With Gene Mauch they were the talk

Of the N.L. fans
 

They could see a first place team

From that Philly base

Could that red stay out ahead

In the pennant race?
 

A choke was all that could forestall

A Philly title "whoop!"

Fans would say, just no way

They could get the boot
 

Then that slide materialized

Nothing like before

Like a man adrift from land

Caught without his oars
 

Legend says a Cincy Red

Gave a horrid curse

With a steal of home he breezed

Nothing could be worse
 

Could we blame just one big play

For the Phillies' woes?

Legend grew that it was true

Phillies' hopes got froze
 

A book was penned with that legend

Such was that belief

Chico Ruiz went and seized

Phillies' destiny
 

Oh my God, it seems so odd

With that blame ascribed

To that guy who just realized

He could run and slide
 

So alas the Phils collapsed

Cardinals stood and crowed

with Dick Groat the Redbirds spoke

In a surging mode
 

Phillies fans were left aghast

Singing loud the blues

Even with such fine talent

They attracted boos
 

Callison with Dick Allen

Were a 1-2 punch

Hitting hard and looming large

They could eat your lunch
 

Dick was black and had a knack

Hitting where they ain't

John was white and showed his fight

In that All-Star Game
 

'64 was years before

PEDs and such

JFK had passed away

How we grieved so much
 

Would that we could just believe

Baseball meant it all

It's no jest we would be blessed

Eyes on that baseball
 

That's because the decade was

Tarred by hellish war

Viet Nam and our Napalm

cursed us to the core
 

We could seize a time machine

Try to change the course

Strive to free humanity
From the din of war

 

Close your eyes and visualize

USA at peace

'64 could be transformed
Wisdom in the breach

 

America that we all love

Sea to shining sea

Hear that buzz with peace and love

And those red Phillies
 

© Copyright 2016 Brian R. Williams