Grover Cleveland Alexander
written by: Michael Ceraolo
I think the seizures started not long after
I was hit in the head with a throw
while running the bases in the minors
(I was unconscious for more than a day),
and I’m sure they weren’t helped
by gas exposure and a head wound during the war;
the alcoholism started at least two generations back,
though few thought of it that way back then
Striking out Lazzeri with the bases and me loaded
has made for a colorful, dramatic tale,
and some have speculated that my drinking
actually helped my pitching by relaxing me
Such speculation may be fun for those making them,
but they remain just that: unprovable speculation
I tend to think the drinking didn’t help my pitching:
I tried to dry out many times,
but I just couldn’t, and it killed me
- Grover Cleveland Alexander - April 15, 2020
- The Cunningham Sanitarium - September 16, 2019
- Shakespearean Baseball Sonnet #22 - July 9, 2019
