‘Twas the night before Opening Day

And the Wolverines were picked as the team to be feared.

Clean uniforms hung in their lockers with care,

Awaiting the players who would soon be there.

Until then they’re sleeping all warm in their beds,

While visions of homeruns cavort in their heads;

But coach Rich Maloney continued to stir,

His possible lineups were starting to blur.

“Who should play where, and will it matter

If I choose to make this guy my leadoff batter?”

At 8-6, Michigan’s start wasn’t steady,

A veteran pitching staff didn’t look ready.

But even though the pitchers haven’t started off quick,

They are getting better, and the batters still hit.

The lineup is strong and puts others to shame,

And it comforts Maloney to read off each name;

“Recknagel and Putnam, Abraham and Mahler,

VanBuskirk and Christian, both slightly taller.

And the last three, Berset, Cislo and LaMarre,

Yes, this lineup could take us quite far.

Just imagine all nine under a clear blue sky,

One after another, making fat pitches fly.”

The thought calms Maloney as he falls back asleep.

So does the thought of who Michigan will meet.

The lowly Golden Grizzlies will come take the field,

And before the first pitch their fate will be sealed.

In a few short hours, the pitcher will take the mound,

In front of the students who will gather around.

The hair will stand on all players’ necks,

For the first pitch at the Wilpon Baseball Complex.

The players dressed in white from head down to toe,

Standing on grass that has been freshly mowed.

Well – maybe not fresh. It’s more like mucky.

At this time of year, playing one game is lucky.

But the start of the season is a great time of year,

Giving students an escape from classes kicking their rear.

Warm weather soon follows, along with flip-flops,

And shorts and short skirts and lots of tank tops.

So don’t be deterred by the unpleasant weather,

The team’s fun to watch and the conditions get better.

You may need warm clothing or a snug winter hat,

As you sit and enjoy the first pings of the bat.

But back to the players and the coaches, too,

All sleeping at home, dreaming of what they can do.

They want to play well, coach well, do everything right,

Score early and often for the fans’ delight.

And if you ask this columnist, he has just one wish –

Every student going down to Opening Day at the Fish.

-Bosch is really excited for baseball in Ann Arbor to start. So much so that he tried to write a poem. Weird. He can be reached at hectobos@umich.edu.