The 3:57 by William E. Spear

CASEY AT THE BAT

By Ernest Lawrence Thayer

Start excerpted transcript:

(Take Me Out to the Ballpark comes up)

Hello. This is The 3:57 and my name is William Spear. This episode is one of the all-time sports classics - CASEY AT THE BAT.

Every sports fan knows the sting of defeat when a favorite team loses. From football to bowling to curling, fans take losses hard.

But one story has captured the despair of a crushing loss since 1888. That's when Ernest Lawrence Thayer told the tale of the Mudville fans. Losing late in the game, they hoped their hero would get a chance to bat. And he did!

And now . . . CASEY AT THE BAT.

The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville nine that day:

The score stood four to two, with but one inning more to play,

And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same,

A pall-like silence fell upon the patrons of the game.

A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest

Clung to the hope which springs eternal in the human breast;

They thought, "If only Casey could but get a whack at that—

We'd put up even money now, with Casey at the bat."

But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake,

And the former was a hoodoo, while the latter was a cake;

So upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat,

For there seemed but little chance of Casey getting to the bat.

But Flynn let drive a single, to the wonderment of all,

And Blake, the much despisèd, tore the cover off the ball;

And when the dust had lifted, and men saw what had occurred,

There was Jimmy safe at second and Flynn a-hugging third.

Then from five thousand throats and more there rose a lusty yell;

It rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell;

It pounded on the mountain and recoiled upon the flat,

For Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat.

End of excerpt.