Jordan (Atlanta): Would Major League Baseball hide the fact that all of Sammy's bats were corked, for the sake of baseball?

Let us go then, you and I
and follow this tedious argument
Of insidious intent
And lead you to an overwhelming question . . .
Oh, do not ask, "Were they all cork?"
It makes you sound just like a dork.

On the web, the people come to chat
Talking of Sammy Sosa's bat.

Ed Zaboski, Philadelphia, PA: Sure Sosa's excuses look real good now but they had a few innings to switch those bats before they were seized. My question is why even have a corked one in the first place? Like he's not strong enough and the pitches aren't grooved in BP? Just doesn't make any sense.

The chilly fog that rubs its back upon North Clark
Like a heavy smoke that muzzles the friendly park
Licks its tongue into the corners of the outfield
Lingers like Lake Michigan hovering above,
Lays down upon its back, and like a hidden glove,
Smothers BP homers with its misty shield.

On the web, the people come to chat
Talking of Sammy Sosa's bat.

Steve Deal (Bellefontaine, OH): In the wake of Sosa's corked bat mistake, MLB will likely hand down a 7 or so game suspension for a potentially minor infraction (no player is directly hurt by using a corked bat). What do you think about increasing the suspension time for in game brawls? Could an automatic suspension for leaving the bench/bullpen like in the NBA work in baseball?

Yes, indeed there is time
As the chilly fog slides along the lake
And rubs its back along Chicago's streets
There is time, there is time
To prepare a face to meet with the mistake.

On the web, the people come to chat
Talking of Sammy Sosa's bat.

Dennis (NY, NY): Do you think we will ever get back to the "good old days" of baseball, where teams play the small ball and bunt & steal? There are very few teams who try to simply manufacture a run.

There is a time to steal and to create,
A time for all the bunts and hit and runs,
To drive a runner home from base to plate,
A time for you and a time for me
To question a hundred small decisions
Or station-to-station indecisions
Before taking a tasting of victory.

Josh (Coventry, CT): I know it's silly, as a Red Sox fan, to be optimistic about our playoff chances, but this year, more than previous years, the Yankees look extremely vulnerable (especially in the bullpen). Do you think this is the year when the Sox finally outdo the Yanks? And do you think Pedro will make a dominant return?

And indeed this is a time
To wonder, "Do I Dare?" and "Do I cheer?"
A time to think, "Is this the year?"

Philip (Denver): Hi, It seems like this years Mariners are much like the 2001 team - which worries me because they have no #1 starter to guarantee wins in the playoffs. Is this a problem?

They can't turn back, they must dare
Despite a bald spot in the middle of their hair,
For if they fall back and they do not win
Folks will say: "How their hair is growing thin!"

Tony (Monroeville, IN): What is your opinion about the new computerized strike zone? Do the umpires feel like there is no chance for human error?

Do we dare
Disturb the universe?
For every minute of air time
There are decisions and revisions in a minute to reverse.

Gordon (NYC): Hi, Andy Pettitte is 30 years old with 132 wins and 4 rings. He could finish his career with some impressive stats, but will people dismiss them as a product of the great teams he's been on? Thanks!!

I have known the products already, known them all--
Have known the losers, winners, cries and grins,
I have measured out my life by counting wins,
I know careers that die before the Hall,
Yet I don't know who stays out and who gets in.
So how should I presume?

Daniel (Arkansas): How much fun was it working with Marty on Wednesday night?

I have known the voice already, known them all--
Yet I've not heard a better formulated phrase.

Brian (NYC): In your opinion, who is the best of all time at robbing homeruns in the outfield? To me that is the most exciting play in baseball.

These days, it is formulated, sprawled above a fence
Only seven feet high, Hunters on a wall,
How can it make much sense
To compare the glove hands of older days?

Ricky (Albuquerque, NM): Hey! Being a loyal Mets fan, do I have anything to look forward to? It just keeps getting worse.

Howe, should I presume?

Dustin (Muncie, IN): What kind of pitcher is out on the trade market that the Reds can trade for? Do the Reds have enough to give for a good quality pitcher?

I have known the arms already, known them all--
Arms that are targeted and good and cheap
(Not in the spotlight, down from a scrap heap!)

Nevada, Mo: Do you Think Roger Clemens will out duel Kerry Wood on Saturday to pick up three hundred? Or will you yet again have it allude him?

Is it the corking mess
That has made us so digress?
Arms like these should be the story, wrap us up in ball.

Joey, Nj: Do you think Jose Contreras is better off being a starter?

Is that what we should presume?
Should we question, if they win?

Greg, NY: Hi, do retired players talking amongst themselves think that a lot of the current power numbers are tainted? Or is the only relevant comparison player within eras?

Shall I say, I have gone at times through little parks
And watched the balls that rise up from the bats
Of skinny men in short sleeves, leaning out over the plate?

I should have sent a headward ball
Shooting through the silent seas of time.

Jim Hills, Menomonee Falls WI: Why is it that the majority of Major League Players don't play with injuries any more. A perfect example of this was Wednesday night when Griffey hurt his right arms during a swing, and then on the next pitch he hit a homerun and then sat out the rest of the game. It just seems if he was able to hit a homerun then he should be able to play the rest of the game.

In the afternoons, the evenings, they sleep so peacefully!
Smoothed by long paychecks
Asleep . . . tired . . . they malinger,
Stretched on the floor, outside you and me.

Joey, Nj: Do you think the Orioles are finally a respectable team?

Should I, after a win or two, which is nice,
Think that strength and force will suffice?
I'm no prophet, not that it will matter,
But I think that heads will be brought in upon a platter.

Derek Monroe: what do you think about those devils?

I have seen the moment of my greatness flicker,
I have seen them hold my coat, and snicker,
And in short, I was afraid.

Ned: What's worse: corking a bat or scuffing the ball?

Would it have been worth it, after all,
After the scandals, the ejections, the calls
Among the talking heads, among the talk of good and evil,
Would it have been worth while,
To have bitten off the scandal with a smile,
To have suspend the universe of baseball,
To face up to the overwhelming questions,
To say, "I am Lazarus, come from the dead,
Come back to tell you all, I shall tell you all"?

Andrew (Franklin Lakes, NJ): Do you think the matchup going on at Wrigley this weekend could be a World Series preview?

I think, when all is settled and this is dead,
I'd say, "That is not what I think at all.
This is not it, at all."

Matt (NYC): After all these years, is there a baseball team that you root for? Are you a (X-Team) Fan? Did playing for the Reds and Astros lead you to become fans of the teams?

Would it have been worth it, after all,
Would it have been worth while,
After the travel, and the defeats, and the crowded locker rooms,
After the victories, after the championships, and after the champagne celebrations--
To be left to cheer, and no more?

Ken Griffey Jr.: Hey, Am I going to reach 500 HR's this year or is it to late?

It is impossible to say, know what I mean?

Adam (West Columbia, SC): What are the Braves going to do about their pitching staff, especially their middle relief.

It is as if they have a magic bullpen lantern, that cannot be seen.

Rich - montreal: What happens when a game is played under protest - as in last night's Blue Jays/Cards game? Will anything come of this? Great game by woody!!

When your protests do not seem worth while,
If throwing a base or kicking some dirt won't change the call,
You turn to the umpire, and say,
"This is not it at all,
This is not what I want, at all."

Corey Patterson: I've been great this year! Is this a fluke or am I finally going to become the great player I should be?

No! You are not a Prince, nor were meant to be!
You're a minor character, one that will do
To make a nice catch, start a rally or two,
Assist the manager; no doubt, an easy tool,
Deferential, glad to be of use.

Santos (Huntsville, Alabama: Do you think race has something to do with Sammy's media coverage?

The media is meant to be politic, cautious, and meticulous;
Full of high motives, but a bit obtuse
At times, indeed, sometimes ridiculous--
Almost, at times, a Fool.

Will they ask about his hair? Do they dare to question his good name?
Does anybody really care? Will the masses sing his fame?
I have heard them sing like mermaids on the sea.

I do not think they will sing for me.

I have seen them riding out onto the waves
Combing the white hair of the water, fore and back,
Up and down, in and out, white and black.

mike Ny: After Roger Clemens gets 300 are there any pichters after him who can boast that they have won 300; also will we ever see another 300 game winner in a few years from now?

We grow old . . . we grow old . . .
I think this story has now been told.

We have lingered in the chambers of the sea
Breathing fame with water all around,
Till human voices wake us, and we drown.

(Compare to the original chat wrap and original poem.)