Casey at the Bat:
A Ballad of the Republic

Sung in the Year 1888

Sixth Installement in my Book Series

This poem has been turned into a variety of childrens books one of my favorites is a version Illustrated by Christopher Bing.  The poem also found life in theatre the first known portrayel was by comedian Dr. Wolf Hopper at the Wallace Theatre.  Baseball Alamanac refers to this poem as the single most famous baseball poem ever written.  You can also find some great renditions of this poem on YouTube I am partial to James Earl Jones rendition and a young man who for a class poetry project had his family film him reciting the poem while at the ballfield.  Of course Disney also has a version as well as several other cartoon versions.

Who penned such a classic?  The author of this poem was first known by his pen name "Phin" his real name was Ernest Thayer.  It all began in 1885 when George Hearst bought the San Francisco Examiner and gave it to his son William Randolph Hearst.  William had experience from his years at Harvard when he and three of his friends worked for the Harvard Lampoon.  Thayer was one of those friends who came with him to San Francisco.  His poem was published in the June 3, 1888 issue of the Examiner.  When the poem was first published it did not get much noteriety.  It was not until Archibald Gunter passed along the poem to his friend Dr Wolf Hopper.  When Gunter gave Hopper the poem it had been published in a New York paper and printed with author Anon.  Hopper's performance of the poem in front of New York and Chicago ball clubs was what brought the poem into the limelight.

"Love has its sonnets galore.  War has its epic in heroic verse.  Tragedy its sombre story in measured lines.  Baseball has Casey at the Bat."
- Albert Spalding  

Now for the puzzle try not to strike out like Casey.


0022  1237  2056  3351  4822  5361
1851  2555  3081  4058  5004  0361
1973  2131  3511  4164  5076  0113  
1043  2085  0000  3056  4113  5062
2134  3041  4451  5673  0465  1202  
2145  3234  4069  5024  0324  1232
2854  3332  4204  5125  0363  1202  
2651  3114  4165  5744  3434  4374  
5314  0345  1802  2091  3052  4106  
5503  0412  1793  2046  3184  4442  
5791  0000  1451  2402  3431  4432  
0000  5668  0083  1235  2092  3381  
4242  5311  4455  5394  0491  1221  
2046  3182  4321  0000 5471  0315  
1404  2555  3334  4328  5042  0614
  1201  2162  3111  0000  4076  5395  
0313  0000  2712  3251  4322  5121  
5524  0711  1802  2847  3441  4102  
5141  0624  0000  1424  2552  3271  
4104  5608  0591  1032  2273  3082
  4441  5671  0000   


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