Question Mark

Jack Clifton's eyes bored through your soul.

Strong hands extended from hairy arms,

deathgripping bat as cavemen carried clubs.

Sir Jack's Crusade was

to land every ball in intensive care.

Pitching, he was nightmarish;

a fast fierce untamed aborigine,

to him walks and wild pitches

were weapons of intimidation.

Nobody dug in against Jack Clifton.

His first full season in 1941

for the Coastal Plain League's Goldsboro Gold Bugs

he tattoed tobacco town ballparks for .370,

dragging the batting crown by its hair.

In '42 for Richmond in the Piedmont League

Jack hit .302;

when shunted to Burlington's Bi Staters

(he and Richmond's manager Ben Chapman

were oil and water)

Clifton was 5 and 0 with a no hitter.

He fried Richmond fences for .320 in '43.

EIGHT YEARS LATER, back in OB

with Headland's Dixie Runners

in the Ala - Fla League he goes 25 and 7,

with 245 strikeouts,

194 walks,

3 playoff wins,

12 wild piches,

another no hitter,

the beaning death of Dothan's Ottis Johnson on his brain,

and never plays minor league ball again.

Somewhere in life's haze

is a riddle in enigmatic garb.

Daniel Grey Taylor, 2002

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