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 3rd 1888 but was popularised 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.

The full text can be found at: Text of Casey at the bat

There have been two animated films by Walt Disney based on this poem, Casey At the Bat which is a direct adaptation and Casey Bats Again where his daughters redeem his reputation.