WORLD SERIES OBSEQUIES
October 21, 1973

Last chance--
Two down--
Man on third--
A run to tie--
Mays cranks enormously,
hacks a Baltimore chop toward the mound.
Rollie Fingers waits and waits and
waits again.
High, so high it bounced...
A chance!
But Willie spins and spins about and
falls on his ass
and Fingers runs the ball to first.
My hero
My youth
Fall
Easily
Gracefully
Mortally
Still in the box
Old--
Over--
Out--

JAMES RYAN