the color of pine tar

those pitcher's mounds are something else.
hard to see them in the winter months with the ground covered in snow,
but even in the summer,
it's not really clear what's buried under there
and even if the stadium is gone
and dirt naturally not the same,
there is still a name or an event,
a carl mays,
his 29 shutouts,
abominable personality,
underhand delivery,
reputation for coming inside
and that one pitch that really got away
and sent ray chapman to his early death.

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carl mays became a scout for the milwaukee braves.
it was 1963,
he probably visited county stadium at some point during the season
or maybe not,
but either way,
mays was connected to the menominee river valley
where cooper waved his hands to guide the ball down down down back in 82
and deer sent easter egg sunday 1987
and one anonymous regular season game after another
including the end of days overlooking miller park's construction
and now jean segura will play shortstop.....
those degrees of separation are always so much fewer than we imagine
and all so terribly invisible.