I suppose if I lived on an island, I’d play all day. I wouldn’t have to worry about whether I’d work for a living. I’d spend much of my time looking for food, and building a shelter, and finding ways…
Author: olabner
Welcome! I've followed baseball since I was 8 years old and started this site to illustrate the beauty of the game in prose, poetry, and photography.
I have a Master's in Creative Writing at Missouri State University. For my thesis I wrote a collection of nonfiction micro essays about working in remote Alaska fishing lodges for five summers in my 20s.
After graduation I worked as a northern lights guide in Bettles, Alaska, for 8 months. You can find my favorite aurora photographs at bestnorthernlights.com
I am a freelance writer and photographer. You can find my portfolio at maryellenchiles.com
St. Louis and Kansas City played tonight. They wore jerseys and pants styled after their 1985 World Series. St. Louis players wore patches that read “National League champions.” The teams lost a game to the rain June 14, and reunited…
A man leapt over the bag with his arm outstretched, sweat dripping from his elbow. He looked something like an angel wearing a crown cast from golden wires and paper stars. Another man dove for the base while the first…
At 7-0, it’s the beginning of June and a Friday night. At 8-5, it’s Sunday at 1 p.m., and sinking despair. Also, Trevor Rosenthal must pitch the ninth inning. The Cards’ closer had 27 saves in 29 attempts, but struggled…
There were three standing still And one who carried a bat. One man threw a ball from a hill Another man threw it back. Four men stood waiting to make a catch Casting long shadows on infield grass. And three…
One man cracked a ball with his bat. And he stared at the grass stretching from the outfield seats. Fans in Willie McGee jerseys held the sky for a second or two. Another man sprinted through the field below. Somewhere…
St. Louis faltered just before the All-Star break. By that I mean they lost three of four to Pittsburgh, including one in the tenth and one in the 14th. The Cards lost leads in both games. I suppose we’ll wonder…
I opened up a box. I found some cords for something. They’ve got to be for something. Here’s a button-down shirt I got six years ago. The Cards fell behind by a run. They fell behind to Chicago. And speaking…
The pitcher asked the catcher for a sign. The batter stared at the pitcher. The catcher showed his palm. The pitcher decided what to do. The batter slipped his hand into his pocket. His hand was snug in a batting…
I don’t think my dog liked baseball. He just liked to sit with me. We’d lounge on a futon, analyzing prospects in spring training. He’d curl up on a blanket, then take my seat if I left for a second….