The Ballad of the Yellow Springs Nine (Updated with '45)
Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2020 6:58 pm
The ballad is popular in Yellow Springs pubs
The Ballad of the Yellow Springs Nine
Gather 'round friends and I'll tell you a tale
The most painful in all of time
'bout a team that could never quite win it all
They were known as the Yellow Springs Nine
They'd made the playoffs for so many years
Their faithful had long since lost count
From '26 through present day
Post-season was rarely in doubt
Their clubhouse skipper, their GM too
Were simply the top of their class
But each year when the playoffs were finally done
They they were - just flat on their ass
The fans, they cried "Why must we bear
This result that fate did hand us?
No matter the roster, no matter the stars,
The Nine simply cannot win the Landis."
(Chorus)
The Nine, the Nine, the Nine, the Nine
Chock full of studs and heroes!
The Nine, the Nine, the Nine, the Nine
At year's end, that Nine becomes Zero!
Now our strange tale took a curious turn
In the season of '44
When the club was primed to end the drought
Disappointment they'd have no more
The fans, they flocked to Utopia Field
To see Chenoweth, Foster and Moo
They cheered Valle and Lee and Colbert
Blaine Tyler and Dong-Po Thum, too
When April brought May, and May brought June
Yellow Springs was on top of the world
As the wins piled up, their lead grew quite wide
They hoped banners would soon be unfurled
Yet the baseball gods looked down on the Nine
They smiled and smirked and guffawed
"Which club should we let win it all this year?
Perhaps it will be the Outlaws."
(Chorus)
The Nine, the Nine, the Nine, the Nine
Chock full of studs and heroes!
The Nine, the Nine, the Nine, the Nine
By October that Nine becomes Zero!
By season's end the Nine had earned
A fat lead of twenty eight games
And a hearty one hundred and sixteen wins
Record books would carry their names
One morning the GM went to the park
'fore the crowing of the rooster
Collins was sensing they could win the Cup
And be hailed as the best in the Brewster
But on his way in, Ron was stopped by a man
Dressed in red from his hat to his shoes
He had two horns just behind his ears
And a grin that was devilish too
"Greetings. My name's of no consequence.
My looks should be of no concern.
I can guarantee you'll win the Landis Cup
If you just give me your soul in return."
(Chorus)
The Nine, the Nine, the Nine, the Nine
Chock full of studs and heroes!
The Nine, the Nine, the Nine, the Nine
At year's end, that Nine becomes Zero!
(Slower, quieter)
Ron turned from the man and looked at the park
And pondered this tempting offer
A Landis would bring his club glory and fame
And fill up the owner's coffer
But then from the field came the crack of a bat
And some laughs from the stands high up
And Ron recalled why he loved baseball
'Twas much more than a champion's cup
It's the smell of the grass! The thrill of the K!
Its kids in the stands with their gloves!
It's drafting and grooming that bright new phenom
And walk-offs in ten that he loves!
(loud again)
So Ron said to the man, "You can take your deal
And stick it where the sun don't shine!
Win or lose, we'll play this thing fair and square
For we are the Yellow Springs Nine!"
(Chorus)
The Nine, the Nine, the Nine, the Nine
Chock full of studs and heroes!
The Nine, the Nine, the Nine, the Nine
At year's end, that Nine became Zero!
Then in '45, hopes again were alive
As the Nine arrived in the finals
They felt ready to face the Edmonton club
And win Ron his first-ever title
But the baseball gods roared back and laughed
"This time we'll tease the fans more
We'll ensure that the Nine outscores their foes
Yet face the losing end of the score"
Sure enough, the fans did weep as they watched
The Nine renewing their post-season habits
When the dust had cleared, they'd lost four games-to-one
And the champions were the Jackrabbits!
(Chorus)
The Nine, the Nine, the Nine, the Nine
Chock full of studs and heroes!
The Nine, the Nine, the Nine, the Nine
And by October....
that Nine...
became Zero!
(Repeat chorus, fade to sobs)
