The Handshake

Both the ump and the catcher
Had their hands on their hips
It was only a handshake
It was a coming to grips
The sun was casting long shadows
As he touched every base
When he rounded the third one
The sun lit up his face

It was only a handshake
Well, maybe not quite
It was captured on camera
In black & white
The two of them smiling
As he touches the plate
As he crosses the line
When he knows that he’s safe

It was only a handshake
On Opening Day
No one knew what would happen
If the fellow could play
It was only a handshake
But it was the first
Yes of course there were others
Who stood up and cursed

It was only a handshake
On a minor league field
And it wasn’t ’til later
It became a big deal
It was just something that happened
It was nothing he’d planned
The guy hit a homer
So he stuck out his hand

It was only a handshake
A bond between men
Teammate to teammate
That’s all it was then
He stood there to greet him
Could’ve waited on deck
It was only a handshake
A sign of respect