ONE STRIKE AWAY

                    LABOR DAY SEPTEMBER SECOND TWO THOUSAND AND ONE
                    MIKE MUSSINA AND DAVID CONE DUEL IN THE FENWAY SUN
                    RED SOX VERSUS YANKEES IN PERFECT WEATHER
                     PERFECT GAME IN THE MAKING WHAT COULD BE BETTER?

                     DAVID CONE HAD PITCHED A PERFECT GAME BEFORE
                     MIKE MUSSINA CAME CLOSE TWICE WOULD HE FAIL ONCE MORE?
                      THE YANKS BROKE A SCORELESS TIE IN THE NINETH SCORING ONE
                      NOW, IT WAS THE RED SOX’S LAST CHANCE TO GET IT DONE

                      MIKE GOT HILENBRAND AND MERLONI NOW TWO DOWN
                      WHO’D BE THE SOX PINCH HITTER? MIKE WAITED ON THE MOUND
                      TWENTY SIX RED SOX WENT UP TWENTY SIX WENT DOWN
                       ONE MORE OUT AND THERE’D BE MOURNING IN BEANTOWN

                      CARL EVERETT IN THE CLUBHOUSE WASN’T SUPPOSE TO PLAY
                       FATE AND JIMMY WILLIAMS CALLED HIM IN THAT DAY
                       CARL’S MOUTH FULL OF GAUZE HIS WISDOM TOOTH OUT
                       WHY WAS CARL PINCH HITTNG? CARL HAD SOME DOUBT

                       MIKE HAD STRUCK OUT CARL FOUR TIMES IN A GAME BEFORE
                 WOULD CARL GET A HIT?  WOULD MIKE STRIKE HIM OUT ONCE MORE?
                       TWO FAST BALLS BECAME THE FIRST AND SECOND STRIKE
                        THEN, A BALL CARL WAS PUT IN THE HOLE BY MIKE

                        ONE STRIKE AWAY FROM BASEBALL’S HALL OF FAME
                        ONE STRIKE AWAY FROM FENWAY’S FIRST PERFECT GAME
                        MIKE AND CARL WERE SET AND READY TO MEET THEIR FATE
                        MIKE’S FOURTH PITCH A FAST BALL HURTLED TO THE PLATE

                        CARL SWUNG AND SINGLED OVER DEREK JETER’S HEAD
                        MIKE MUSSINA’S DREAMS OF A PERFECT GAME WERE DEAD
                        THE RED SOX CROWD CHEERED WILDLY AT FENWAY
                        THEY DIDN’T WANT YANKEE HISTORY MADE THAT WAY

                        CLAY BELLINGER SAID IT FELT AS IF THE YANKS LOST THE GAME
                         MY SON CHRIS AND I BOTH RED SOX FANS TRULY FELT THE SAME
                         MIKE WAS ONE STRIKE FROM PERFECTION AT FENWAY
                         MIKE DESERVED A LOUD STANDING OVATION THAT DAY!

 

 King of the Road Music   Music Publisher  Joe Pickering Jr. songwriter  Phil Coley                                        singer and arranger  C 2009