Half-Pint at the Bat

The outlook wasn’t brilliant for the blood supply that day:
Reserves were down to minimum, with but one inning more to play,
And then when O-neg dropped to critical, and A-pos did the same,
A pall-like silence fell upon blood donors at the game.

Some blood was shipped earlier in the morn’. The rest
Inspired the hope which springs eternal in the human breast;
Donors thought, “If only Half-Pint could but get a whack at that—
We’d roll up our sleeves to cheer, with Half-Pint at the bat.”

But another call came in, dropping blood supplies even lower,
It seemed an answer couldn’t ever get any slower,
So upon that stricken blood center grim melancholy sat,
For there seemed but little chance of Half-Pint getting to the bat.

But then the answer came from Hardee’s, Coke, and Chase,
A mega-drive would end the drought upon the place;
Journal Radio, KOLR-10 and Bryan also pitched right in,
It began to seem quite possible that patients just might win!

Then from a thousand local donors there rose a mighty call;
It rumbled through the Ozarks, and inspired one and all;
A special day of giving blood was where the answer sat,
And Half-Pint, mighty Half-Pint, would finally come to bat.

There was ease in Half-Pint’s manner as he stepped into his place;
There was pride in Half-Pint’s bearing and a smile lit his face.
And when, responding to the cheers, he motioned all to GO,
The gift of life from donors miraculously began to flow.

A thousand donors watched him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;
And each enjoyed their tickets and Cardinals blood drive shirt;
Then something in the blood center began to change that day,
For Half-Pint, mighty Half-Pint began to have his way.

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright,
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light;
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children
shout,
For even summer shortages could not strike Half-Pint out.

See you at the Bleed Red Blood Drive!