About the Green Monster Poetry Challenge

The National Baseball Poetry Festival teamed up with NESN TV in the summer of 2025 to introduce a new and fun Poetry Challenge. The Green Monster Poetry Challenge encouraged participants to submit poems that could be read/recited out loud in no more than ONE MINUTE. Poets were challenged to bring to life the spirit of the Green Monster at Fenway Park, and communicate what it means to the team, fans, and Boston community

Inaugural NESN/National Baseball Poetry Festival Green Monster Poetry Challenge Winners

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    First place: “The Monstah,” was written by Todd Leitz, a Duxbury native and fierce Red Sox fan who lives in Los Angeles and works in Major League Baseball as the Los Angeles Dodgers PA Announcer.

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    Second place: “I Am the Green Monster,” was written by Brolin Winning, a MA native currently living in Colrain (in the Hill Towns). Brolin is General Manager of Shelburne Springs Luxury Boutique Hotel. He’s also a (rap) song writer.
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    Third place: “Monster of the Mind,” was written by Herbert Munshine, a baseball poet with dozens of publication credits who is from the Bronx and lives in Great Neck, NY. Herbert was a school teacher for 58 years.