A great baseball player
A gambling soothsayer
with reckless abandon for the most
He found life intriguing
the bells just kept on ringing
Each goal was received with a toast

He rose through the maze
of the fallen and great
to a height never achieved before
Over four thousand hits
with so seldom a miss
and the public drawn in wasn't told

When the word leaked out
the fans had their doubts
could such a great man have fallen prey
to the keepers of the deep
not so much as a peep
will the 'rose' simply fall to drift away

The judges tho' many
from dark nooks and crannies
didn't seem to know why it was so
He was banished the sport
never more to come forth
The 'rose' became petals to strew

Does it profit a man
to manage a stand
when it dawns for certain he'll fall
While strolling the bush
or fates grappling hook
he stumbles to crumble in the squall

Now he's hustled about
living lean without
the freedoms and comforts of home
Why do we treasure so
the favorite son's role
then search out to pummel with stones