They Were Family

They were family
or so we were told.
Good times.
Even Omar the Outmaker
got some stars
for the coolest hats of my childhood.

Crazy to think about
in retrospect,
but for the first 30 years
of my life,
Pittsburgh spent
more time in October
than the Yankees.

It is a bit embarrassing.
I think we were a bit bored
with the team in the playoffs.
Young Wakefield.
Young Bonds.
I always had a soft spot
for Zane Smith.
Ironically,
the Braves were underdogs.

Older now, when I bat
in the D-league softball palaces
I still sometimes pretend
I'm Pops.