When Enos Slaughter

by David Moreau

scored from first on a single
to win the Cardinals the seventh game
of the 1946 World Series
the Boston shortstop got the blame —
and he took it, even though by the time
he got the ball he couldn’t have got him
with a twenty – two.
The sportswriters missed it —
a guy takes an extra base like that
it’s gotta be on the shortstop.
There was no television replay
and nothing John Michael Peskovich
could say that wouldn’t make himself
look bad so he said nothing
and that’s how it’s remembered
Pesky held the ball.
Dom Dimaggio the center fielder
blamed himself for not being there.
He doubled in the tying run
in the top of the eighth and tore up
his ankle sliding into second
so they put in Leon Culberson who
never charged the ball, which Slaughter,
who was a well – known red ass,
punished him for and made it home
godamya to go up 4 – 3
and that was all she wrote.
It was typical of the Red Sox
who won the pennant by 12 games
but didn’t have a backup fielder
who could run or throw.
It all happened before I was born
but they’re my team and so I help
carry the stone in his gut.
They could have pointed out
Ted Williams was hurt slamming
into the wall late in the season
and didn’t have an extra – base hit
the whole series but Slaughter
was playing with a broken elbow himself
and since when does that matter?
I can’t say I would have liked the sonofabitch
but you gotta tip your hat to him,
it was a long way to run on just a single.