Casey at the Bat
"
Casey at the Bat" is a
poem on the subject of
baseball, written in
1888 by
Ernest Thayer. It was first published in the
San Francisco Examiner on
June 3,
1888 but was popularized by DeWolf Hopper in many
vaudeville performances. As a work it encapsulates much of the appeal of baseball, including the involvement of the crowd. Although not well-known in its entirety, the last verse has attained something of the status of a classic.
The last verse reads:
- 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;
- But there is no joy in Mudville—mighty Casey has struck out.
There have been two animated films by
Walt Disney based on this poem,
Casey at the Bat (1946) which is a direct adaptation and
Casey Bats Again (1954) where his daughters redeem his reputation.
External link