Baseballwocky
In May 1914, Baseball Magazine published a parody of “Jabberwocky,” Lewis Carroll’s beloved poem from “Alice in Wonderland.” In this baseball rendition, penned by one Charles B. Gilbert, the fearsome Jabberwock is replaced by an equally fearsome batsman: Cleveland’s star second baseman, Napoleon Lajoie.
Also found peppered among the seven stanzas are the names of other Hall of Famers such as Eddie Collins, Walter Johnson, Rube Marquard, Christy Mathewson and John “Muggsy” McGraw. As Alice would say: “Somehow it seems to fill my head with ideas – only I don't exactly know what they are!”
Baseballwocky: The Strange Dream of a Bleacher Bug
by Charles B. Gilbert
’Twas bridwell, and the fielderjones
Did gregg and gibson in chappelle;
All muggsy were the leverenz,
And mathewson waddell.
Beware the lajoie, my son,
The coombs that chase, the hughes that hunt!
Beware the birmingham, and shun
The eddiecollins bunt!
He took his baker bat in hand,
Long time the paskert foe he sought;
So rested he by the tesreau tree,
And stood in weilman thought.
As thus in weilman thought he stood,
The lajoie, with eyes aflame,
Came ragan through the snodgrass wood,
And marquard as it came.
Ball three! Strike two! And through and through,
The baker bat went conniemack!
He left it dead, and with the head,
He walterjohnsoned back.
And hast thou slain the lajoie?
Come to my arms, my barry boy!
O leary day! O double play!
He jacksoned in his joy.
’Twas bridwell, and the fielderjones,
Did gregg and gibson in chappelle;
All muggsy were the leverenz,
And mathewson waddell.
