Mysteries of the Mighty Casey

Abstract

Baseball history is filled with Caseys, from well remembered-Casey Stengel and Hugh Casey-to obscure: Dennis Casey, a big league fly-chaser in 1884 and 1885, and Bill Casey, who pitched one inning in one game in 1887.But there is only one at Bat.Ernest Lawrence Thayer's poem is, quite simply, one of most enduring and oftrecited in American history. Baseball-wise, its final lines-But there is no joy in Mudville; Mighty Casey has struck out-rank right up alongside Buy me some peanuts and Crackerjack and Who's on first?Once upon a time, facts surrounding poem's creation were cloaked in controversy. One thing is certain, however: at serves to seamlessly blend baseball and American popular culture. Its longevity mirrors appeal of a sport that is as much about failure as hurlers tossing perfect games, batters hitting for cycle, and ninth-inning walk-off heroics. In baseball, of course, a batter may fail seven times out of 10 but still be a .300 hitter, and still make Hall of Fame. Similarly, Mighty Casey, slugging hero of at Bat, is all too human. He seems destined to bash a dinger for his Mudville nine. He always does, doesn't he? This is his calling. This is his fate. But excepting death and taxes, nothing in life is certain. And Mighty Casey, as we learn at poem's finale, does not smash a majestic homer. Instead, he ignominiously strikes out, which makes him all-too-human-and all-too-identifiable to masses. As eminent Yale University professor William Lyon Phelps once observed, psychology of [the poem] is perfect, which is why it rings bell in every mind. We laugh at it, but we know it is honestly no laughing matter.Not long after its publication in 1888, phrase at became part of lexicon. In a May 30, 1895, account of a game between New York and Philadelphia clubs at Polo Grounds, The New York Times reported that, in a clutch situation, Giants' Amos Rusie retired on strikes to disappointment of crowd. It was another case of 'mighty Casey at bat.' On April 24, 1908, paper referred to New York Giants' Mike Donlin as Casey-at-the-bat Donlin. On July 28, 1916, a ninth-inning bases-loaded blast by New York Yankees' Rube against Chicago White Sox was celebrated in Times headline Oldring Proves No Casey at The appellation even transcended baseball. A May 21, 1926, Times theater review of Sean O'Casey's Juno and Paycock was headlined O'Casey at Bat.Casey Stengel biographer Robert W. Creamer reported that, early in his major league career, when Stengel whiffed in clutch situations, fans would yell out, Hey, there's Casey at bat again! Atta boy, Casey! Apparently, future Bronx Bomber skipper was unfazed by such ribbing. His 1962 autobiography was titled at Bat: The Story of My Life in Baseball. Two years later, Stengel himself was credited as author of an introduction to one of myriad published editions of Thayer's poem.More than a century after its creation, title has not lost its shine. In 1980s, numerous newspaper articles spotlighting CIA director William Casey included at in their headlines. On April 24, 1998, Los Angeles Times charted heroics of Cincinnati Reds' Sean Casey in an article headlined Larkin Likes This Casey at On March 22, 2007, paper announced that Casey Kotchman had won Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim first base job with headline Casey's at Bat for Angels Again. Kenneth Turan, Times movie critic, began an April 6, 1996, review of Leonardo DiCaprio film Total Eclipse by quipping that film is the arthouse equivalent of 'Casey at Bat.' Considerable ability has gone into a potential home run scenario, but result is a big whiff all way around.As recently as 2010-April 17, to be exact-The New York Times printed, with Apologies to Ernest Thayer, a Tom Connelly-authored takeoff, [Bobby] Valentine at Bat. …