The Ballad of Joe DeMaestri

He was going to retire in ‘59
When he got a phone call around Christmastime
Asked if he’d like to extend his career
With a different team for two more years
Off to New York in a 7- player trade
To a field where so many heroes have played
To wear the stripes of the legendary Yanks
That night the Lord got a prayer of thanks
From Joe DeMaestri

For a dozen years Joe paid his dues
With lousy teams that just loved to lose
The Saint Louis Browns and the Kansas City A’s
Used up the best of Joe’s playing days
Even at his best he was only OK
And on a bad team he played every day
But the Yankee lineup was second to none
So the days as a starter were over and done
For Joe DeMaestri

Even in his prime Joe couldn’t compete
With Mickey and Yogi and Roger and Clete
So he warmed the bench and swallowed his pride
Two years as a sub, never whined or cried
And when the team scored, Joe led the cheers
And the Yanks scored plenty in those two years
The Yanks won it all in ‘61
And the guy on the team who had the most fun
Was Joe DeMaestri

He then called it quits, but returned in the spring
To step on the field for his World Series Ring
He deserved it as much as the more famous names
Even if he played just a handful of games
He’s 83 now, and he’s doing just fine
One of the rooms of his house is a shrine
To the wonderful time he spent with the Yanks
And at night the Lord still gets a prayer of thanks
From Joe DeMaestri