06/12/2026
'Twas the night before First Tourney, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The bats were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Homer soon would christen them;
The players were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of homers, run through their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a much needed nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen rain
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature Easton ghost rep, and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Hit.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
"Now, Estelle! now, Maddy’s! now, Riley and Ella! Now Mariah!
On, Hannah! on Bailey! on, Jordan and Irie!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of bats, and Coach Joe and Dave too.
And then, in a twinkling, I saw on the diamond
The prancing and pawing of each opposing pitcher.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the middle came a grooved fastball for Riley.
It went deep, it went far. Her uniform tarnished in dirt and mud,
A bundle of RBI’s, to her gamechanger stats.
Coaches eyes -- how they twinkled! Their dimples how merry!
Their cheeks were like roses, their nose’s like a cherry!
Their droll little mouth’s were drawn up like a bow,
And the stubble of their chin’s were as white as snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old man
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the bats with thunder; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like a well oiled machine.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
HAPPY TOURNEY EVE TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!