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This year marks the fourth year the National Baseball Poetry Festival will take place at Polar Park in Worcester, Massachusetts, home of the Boston Red Sox Triple-A affiliate, the Worcester Red Sox, commonly known as the WooSox to its local fanbase. This ballpark, which opened in 2021, will host this exciting, unique event from May 7th to May 10th, bringing together poetry and baseball fans for a festival.
Poets In The Dugout
The National Baseball Poetry Festival allows youth and adult writers to submit poetry that focuses on softball and baseball themes throughout their poetry. Focusing on opening day, heartbreak, triumphs, ballpark food, and so many other themes that surround America’s Pastime.
Poetry submissions are also welcome from international writers who have a love for the game of baseball and want to share their experience with the sport. As a poet myself, I appreciate reading poetry from a diverse list of poets to enhance my own craft.
Worcester native and author Ernest Thayer is best known for the poem “Casey at the Bat” a poem that tells the reader a tale of being overconfident and disappointment that comes with fandom during the last inning of a baseball game, which are themes that still surround sports today, which makes this 1888 a work of literary history and the reason for introducing this baseball poetry festival.
The National Baseball Poetry Festival includes 2 WooSox games, a musical feature, a panel discussion, a Poet-to-Poet Reading, workshops, open mics, and even time to play catch, along with many activities! You can find the schedule of events at this link.
National Baseball Poetry Festival Contest
The youth contest consists of fourth to 12th graders and is limited to one poem submission per contestant. The poems cannot exceed 200 words while sticking to the baseball theme where judges will score based on the creativity, style, and originality of the poetry submission. There will be 20 elementary school winners, 20 middle school winners, and 20 high school winners.
The students also have the opportunity to read their poems at the festival with prizes that include a certificate, a t-shirt, and a ticket to the WooSox game that Saturday of the baseball poetry festival.
The adult contest requires the contestant to be 18 years of age or older, and only one poem submission per contestant, while previously published work is acceptable for submission.
20 winners will be announced for the adult contest, the prizes include: their poem being published on the festival’s website, their work will be recognized during the festival, receiving 2 complementary tickets to the WooSox game on Friday, a certificate, and a t-shirt. You can also find merchandise for the baseball poetry festival here.
The End Of My National Baseball Poetry Festival Rant
The fourth National Baseball Poetry Festival bridges together baseball and poetry fans. Athletes and baseball fans will have the opportunity to showcase their creative and poetic expression to celebrate a sport they truly admire.
To find out more about this upcoming event to attend or become a contestant, please go to this website and submit a poem before the March 27th deadline, and winners will be announced on April 10th via email.
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