A Lot of Little Boy
Alex Gordon,
on a sunny spring Sunday,
sprints across the outfield grass,
dives over the wall,
disappears into the crowd,
and gloves another
amazing
Gordo grab.
Alex Gordon
on a sultry summer night,
breaks on the ball,
fast to the foul line,
gobbles the grounder,
split second release,
one hop throw
to Esky at second
for the “Out!”
Alex Gordon
on a cold October night,
faces the Mets’
flame throwing closer,
Jeurys Familia,
and crushes
a clutch,
ninth inning,
game tying
home run
that soars over
the center field wall.
Alex Gordon,
after the game
which the Royals win
in extra innings,
stands on the field
by the first base bag,
waiting to be interviewed
on national television,
with his glove
on top of his head
like it’s a leather
ball-hawking bird.
Alex Gordon,
hero to three boys
sitting in the stands
with their mother.
She laughs.
She knows
a little about baseball
but a lot about boys.
“Gordo looks like Jakey!
Jakey does that!
Jakey puts his glove
on his head
when he eats
ice cream
after Tee-ball.”
Alex Gordon
answers
Erin Andrews’ questions.
He is thirty-one
with a scraggly beard,
a splotch of dirt across his jersey,
and grass-stained pants
with a hole over his left knee.
Gordo talks of “teamwork,
believing, and battling
until the last hitter is out.”
Then he reaches up,
grabs his glove
off his head,
walks the final few steps
across the diamond,
and disappears
into the dugout.