Grover Cleveland Alexander

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

• About
• Latest Posts

Michael Ceraolo

Michael Ceraolo is a retired firefighter/paramedic and active poet with two full-length books of poetry published (Euclid Creek, from Deep Cleveland Press; 500 Cleveland Haiku, from Writing Knights Press), and he has two more books in the publication pipeline: Euclid Creek Book Two, from unbound content press; and Lawyers, Guns, and Money, from Writing Knights Press.

Latest posts by Michael Ceraolo (see all)

• Grover Cleveland Alexander - April 15, 2020
• The Cunningham Sanitarium - September 16, 2019
• Shakespearean Baseball Sonnet #22 - July 9, 2019