Where can i find the poem about the fabulous one horse shay that lasted one hundred years and a day?

Answer 1

The Deacon's Masterpiece or The Wonderful One-Hoss Shay written by Oliver Wendell Holmes. it's not really a poem, although there are parts of the essay that have rhyming couplets, such as, "logic is logic, that's all I can say."

Answer 2

One Horse Shay Poem

Answer 3

http://holyjoe.org/poetry/holmes1.htm

Bit big to cut and paste!

Answer 4

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The Day Shay Got To Play by EJ Nolan
Chush is a school in Brooklyn, New York that caters to learning disabled children. Some children remain in Chush for their entire school career.

At a Chush fund-raising dinner, the father of one student delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he cried out, "Where is the perfection in my son, Shay? Everything God does is done with perfection, but my child cannot understand things as other children do. My child cannot remember facts and figures as other children do. Where is God's perfection?"

The audience was shocked by the question, pained by the father's anguish and stilled by the piercing query. "I believe," the father answered, "that when God brings a child like this into the world, the perfection that he seeks is in the way people react to this child."

He then told the following story about his son Shay: One afternoon, Shay and his father walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, "Do you think they will let me play?"

Shay's father knew that his son was not at all athletic and that most boys would not want him on their team. But Shay's father understood that if his son was chosen to play it would give him a comfortable sense of belonging. Shay's father approached one of the boys in the field and asked if Shay could play.The boy looked around for guidance from his teammates. Getting none, he took matters into his own hands and said "We are losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him up to bat in the ninth inning."

Shay's father was ecstatic as Shay smiled broadly. Shay was told to put on a glove and go out to play short center field. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again and now with two outs and the bases loaded with the potential winning run on base. Shay was scheduled to be up. Would the team actually let Shay bat at this juncture and give away their chance to win the game?

Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that it was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, let alone hit with it. However as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher moved a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay should at least be able to make contact.

The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. One of Shay's team-mates came up to Shay and together they held the bat and faced the pitcher waiting for the next pitch. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly toward Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay and his teammate swung at the ball and together they hit a slow ground ball to the pitcher.

The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could easily have thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have ended the game. Instead, the pitcher took the ball and threw it on a high arc to right field, far beyond reach of the first baseman.

Everyone started yelling, "Shay, run to first. Run to first." Never in his life had Shay run to first. He scampered down the baseline wide-eyed and startled. By the time he reached first base, the right fielder had the ball. He could have thrown the ball to the second baseman who would tag out Shay, who was still running. But the right fielder understood what the pitcher's intentions were, so he threw the ball high and far over the third baseman's head.

Everyone yelled, "Run to second, run to second." Shay ran towards second base as the runners ahead of him deliriously circled the bases towards home.

As Shay reached second base, the opposing shortstop ran to him, turned him in the direction of third base and shouted, "Run to third." As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams ran behind him screaming, "Shay run home."

Shay ran home, stepped on home plate and all 18 boys lifted him on their shoulders and made him the hero, as he had just hit a "grand slam" and won the game for his team.

;"That day," said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, "those 18 boys reached their level of God's perfection."

Songwriter EJ Nolan has written a stirring tribute to the Shay story and Baseball Almanac is honored to share with you The Day Shay Got To Play.

"Do you think they will let me play?" - Shay


The Day Shay Got To Play


by EJ Nolan © (All rights reserved)


Published: Line and Sinker Music - ASCAP (2001)
Two teams had gathered for a game
At the Playground field that day
The sun was low when I drove up, with my son whose name is Shay
Now, Shay's a lot like other kids, and a lot like you and me
But his playing had been limited, by his disability

I thought how much I loved the game as we saw the field that day
Then Shay looked up and asked me: "Dad, Do you think they'll let me play?

I didn't hold out too much hope. Thought they'd put up a fight
But one shortstop said, We're down by six, I guess It'd be all right

The bottom of the eighth began as evening turned to night
His team got three more runs and then they sent Shay out to right
He stood there proudly, with his daddy's glove. A twinkle in his eye,
And a smile that spread from ear to ear, more brilliant than the sky.

"Three up three down!" the umpire called,
And Shay hadn't made a catch
Three runs behind. Just three more outs,
As Shay's team came to bat.

They loaded up the bases, And Shay stood there on deck.
My heart was in my throat, I thought "They won't let Shay bat next."
A cold wind blew across that field, and I began to pray.
I looked up and gave a yell, as they tossed the bat to Shay.

Shay's team, in one bold gesture, had given up the win
But then to my surprise, The pitcher
moved a few steps in
He tossed it over under hand, but poor Shay swung too late
And then the pitcher moved a few steps closer to the plate.
This time he lobbed it really slow
Shay swung and tapped the ball
The pitcher picked it up and heaved it, Toward the left field wall!

Then from the stands there came a roar
Like fireworks had burst, and all the players on the field
Yelled "Shay, go run to first!

Well Shay had never made it onto first base in his life
The fielder out in left wound up and threw the ball to right
They knew what his intention was without uttering a word
The shortstop ran to second, and pointed Shay toward third

When Shay's foot landed on third base, His smiling face just shone
And all the players on both teams, were shouting "Shay run home!"
I knew that no one there that day would ever be the same
When Shay set both feet on home plate - "The Hero of the Game"

Somewhere angels are laughing
But one dad shed tears that day
For that one Grand Slam - meant Both Teams Won...
The Day Shay Got To Play.

The Day Shay Got To Play by EJ Nolan ©




The Day Shay Got To Play is exclusive property of the author EJ Nolan who has reserved ALL rights (written permission has been given to Baseball Almanac for its use).

Did you know that EJ Nolan also created the theme song for the Houston Astros Mascot "Junction Jack"?

This moving piece, along with others, will be released on an upcoming CD of baseball music by EJ Nolan. Baseball Almanac hopes you choose to support his creation and the efforts of our website to preserve these future classics.







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