Written by Steve Buffum

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The results are in: Casey Blake inspires haiku.  Lots and lots of haiku.  The results are in, and Buff tells you all about the Third Annual Walt Svirsky Commemorative Haiku Contest.  You know, 'cause the Indians didn't play.

This year's Haiku Contest was much harder to judge than those in years past: I got a lot more entries, and the quality was pretty darn good.  Sure, the occasional reader forgot to count to five or seven, but there's lots of good stuff here. 

There were a number of different approaches: the Beard/Chin, the Clutch Hitting, the Grinding, the Trade ... and there were a number of common themes.  But ultimately, I chose to evaluate the poems in separate categories.  There are a LOT that deserve Honorable Mention, but here are the category winners: 

In the Beard/Chin Category, the winners are Jason Laurianti and Justin Truitt: 

Jason 

So, the Beard is Gone  
Fasano's 'Stache Has No Friend  
Wedge May Grow His Own  

Justin 

Blake, we will miss thee 
Virile chin cut from granite 
Sometimes a fungus 

In the Grinder/Fan Reaction Category, the winners are Mike Perry and Michael Barnauskas: 

Mike 

Casey at the bat 
Shapiro's grinding dreamboat 
In the tribe no more 

Michael 

My Mom Hates Casey 
Blake's in la-la land Mother 
Happy Birthday Mom 

And in the Actual Poetry Category, the winners are Paul Anderson and Roger Evans: 

Paul 

Terror at the plate 
Is it delight or sadness? 
Panic in your glove 

Roger 

Blake curls aging ash 
Splinters at home plate drifting 
In Indians' void 

To single out everyone who deserves recognition would dillute the meaning, but here are a few that I especially enjoyed for one reason or another: 

Alan Florjancic for his message board reference: 

Casey Blake is gone. 
Board posting at all time low. 
Sledge silently weeps. 

Anna and/or Laura Burley for her/their sincere fandom in the face of much vitriol over the years: 

Casey I'll miss you 
Two thousand miles from Cleveland 
I'll still watch you play 

Jack Mager for a concise synopsis: 

Oh bearded wonder... 
A career year helped us get... 
Top prospects for you!!!! 

Jon Cooper for a career summary: 

Casey Blake, Tribe star? 
Flourished under Wedge, for sure 
Bench jockey elsewhere 

And Barry McBride for the minimalist purity: 

Blake Blake Blake Blake Blake 
Blake Death Blake Blake Blake Blake Blake 
Blake Blake Death Death Blake 

I liked a lot more of these: please enjoy, and thanks to everyone who entered! 

Jason Laurianti 

Casey Blake was  
A fake in Two Thousand Eight  
More Garko Than Ryan  

Wedge Told Casey "Bye"  
The Two They Shed a Tear While  
The Cleveland Fans Cheered!  

Cleveland Curse Lives On...  
As Casey Goes to Contend  
Dodgers Sweep in Four  

Career Seasons Bring  
On The Changes You Deserve  
Good Luck Casey Blake  

Casey in the Field:  
More Positions Than a One  
Night Stand - That's Trade Bait 

Casey's Eye Was Keen  
His Bat Was Strong in '08  
Yet we kept the 'Looch?  

Lots of Casey Gear  
In the Indian's Team Shop  
Sells More Than Del-looch  

CC vs. Blake  
One is going to be League Champ  
Cleveland Curse Lives On  

He Cleaned Wedge's Spikes  
Neatly Pressed His Uniform  
That's the "Go-To" Guy?  

The Bases Loaded  
And The Ball Goes Through His Legs  
That's Casey To Us 

Matt Vanderfeen 

Casey at the bat 
You can't miss what never was 
Utility man

Runners not scoring  
Starter for the Tribe spelled doom 
Underperforming

Blake - always hustles 
Fun to watch - like paint drying 
But chicks dug the beard 

Mike Perry 

Sweet soft beard on chin 
Whiskers for all Ohio 
Now in Dodger Blue

Prospects are desired 
Aging veteran with high cost 
Silly Dodgers paid

Need a solid glove 
With some pop in wooden bat 
Dodgers still have needs 

Paul Kormerl 

Uncertain we'll miss 
Mighty Casey at the bat 
After a fine trade 

The Beard played them all 
Except for two positions 
With which he's replaced 

Worthless with runners, 
Now he only hits in clutch, 
Trade this anomaly! 

David Swader (or David S. Wader) 

A gigantic chin 
That was not meant to chagrin 
Did belong to him 

Patrick Fischbach 

Driving in runners 
You excelled better than most 
No more runners home 

Charles Buffum 

Now at third: Marte. 
There is no joy in Cleveland, 
Casey has bailed out.

From fourteen out to 
only one, Casey Blake scores 
while we sink deeper.

The gamer is gone. 
So what? So is the season. 
Fans get a Wedgie. 

Michael Guzak 

Good-Bye Mountain Man 
Don't Let The Coast Corrupt You 
You'll Be Mountin' Men 

Justin Truitt 

Loved by a few fans 
Infuriating at times 
Bearded enigma  

Marte makes me cry 
Blake made him rot on the bench 
Come back home Casey 

Michael Heinbach 

Casey Blake is gone 
I'm not sure I care at all 
Oye Como Va 

Ben Warburton 

Your beard will be missed 
Delucci can go as well 
I love drinking beer  

So Luche gets to stay 
While CC Walks away 
I want to vomit  

Wedge loved your hustle 
I hated your OPS 
Billy Beane conurs  

Blake always played hard 
did whatever he was told 
Wedge equals man crush 

Doug Lombardi 

Casey Blake for two? 
What about Gark and Soo Choo? 
No value for slow and blah. 

Rich Swerbinsky 

The fans wanted more 
But you more than enough 
Still hate Torre's guts 

Nicholas Swerbinsky 

That guy must be good: 
They let him wear number one! 
Blake is not poopy! 

Bob Sanok 

Good-bye Casey Blake. 
We got some prospects for you. 
See you back next year! 

Chris Koch 

casey blake was here. 
he played everyday. why? 
utility man. 

Brian Palicia 

Thrived at the hot corner 
Matured when he was at bat 
It was a fine beard 

Mickey Ferguson 

What is all the fuss? 
Casey Blake was adequate 
Brought us fine prospects 

Casey Blake's best move 
Was leaving the Indians 
Prospects good; Blake? Eh. 

Michael Kraft 

Guaranteed homerun 
When there are no ducks on pond 
RISP a dirty word 

Dave Derrenburger 

casey blake is gone 
we got carlos santana 
guitar hero, not

good-bye casey blake 
wedge wants all those pictures back 
how else to explain???

favorite grinder 
wedge will miss the bearded one 
i say good riddance

versatility??? 
so what???  give me more talent 
grinders are losers

casey a dodger 
jay leno wants his chin back 
beware of razor 

Julia Simon 

Blake's doing it all 
For freakin Torre, not us 
Thanks shap - here's hoping 

Barry McBride 

They called me Death 
I was not their final end 
Call the basement home 

The kind of player 
Mike Hargrove would really love 
But the Tribe is done 

Mediocre player 
Perfect for Dolan's ballclub 
But now is too old 

Exciting? Not much 
Stable and steady and dull 
California bound 

Uncredited Appearance 

Casey Blake sucks! 
Does he suck?  Why yes, he does! 
Blake sucks!  Wedge's fault. 

Farewell, Casey Blake 
Number One in our programs 
But not in our hearts 

Paul Richardson 

Chuck Norris Sibling 
Ride your beard to victory 
There in Anaheim 

Indians season 
Deal or No Deal is on now 
What's the difference? 

Mary St. Cyr 

Men on the bases 
Casey comes up to the plate 
Pitcher starts to smile 

Erik Mosley 

Strike looking, ball, ball 
Strike looking, ball, swinging strike 
Casey at the bat