New Britain herald., 1915-06-03

or CASEY" CLAS-
SIC POEM OF BASEBALL.

II all the verse inspired by baseball
in the last half century was made into
a String" it would stretch from Kali
omazoo, Mich, to Bangkok, in Siam.
And, doubtless, then some. AT the top
of this string, holding precedence as
the supreme classic of baseball litera-
ture, is Casey at the Bat Ever since
De Wolf Hopper popularized that IA
NOUS poem OF the diamond a story of
controversy has ragged over the ques-
ton of its authorship. Multitudinous
are the claims that have been made as
to. priority in penning those immortal
lines, but majority opinion, which is
supported by evidence, gives the credit
to Ernest L. Thayer.
So far as known, Casey was first
published in the San Francisco Ex-
aminer twenty-seven years ago to-
day, June 8, 1888, and, unless further
evidence is Forthcoming, this is Casey's
birthday The verses were signed "E.
L. r." and this may be accepted as all
but conclusive Of Thayer's authorship.
Thayer lived in Worcester, Mass. and
was a graduate Of Harvard. 1t is
said that the "Mudv ille' of the poem
was a part of Tannerville, near Cam
bridge, where there was a ball field
which was prone to become very mud
dy on the slightest provocation. Thay-
er was a classnate OF William Ran
dolph Hearst at Harvard, and the
two were firm friends. When Mr..
Thayer wrote Casey it was natural
that he should send it to Mr.. Hearst's
paper Thayer was at one time ennA
ployed on the staff of the Examiner,
but later returned to Worcester and
IA Il fo -,
mess.
Casey has been credited to many
other authors, however, including
George Wnitefield D'yys, Joseph
Quinlin Murphy and Will Valentine.
D'vys, Cambridge, Mass, man, as
serted that he wrote. the last verses
of Casey in 1887, but that the man
uscript was lost in a Boston newspa-
per office. Will Valentine, who was a
member Of the New York World staff
died in 1897. He was formerly en-
ployed on the Kansas City Star and
the Sioux City Tribune, and is said to
have written Casey while in the
Iowa city.
The original publication of Casey"
in the San Francisco paper new seems
conclusive, however, and Ernest T..
Thayer seems as certainly its author. |
The poem was reprinted in papers all |
over America, and it was further pop !
ularized by the famous comedian, De |
Wolf Hopper. It was first recited by. |
Mr.. Hopper at performances OF "Cas-
Ties in the Air. and made such hit |
Lhot the come dian included it in his |
Casey at the Bat will doubtless
continue to be the great epic of the |
diamond pastime as long as baseball
IS played. It has survived for twenty
seven years with no dirninution in its
Parodies without number |
help to keep the interest in Casey"
live. The poetic story of how
'migI,y Casey struck OUT contains
lurnor, pathos and tragedy. Reading
eated on ''ti1e benches, black with
people, and joining in the 'muffled
oar which went up when the UNI
IRE called a strike on Casey. And
when a second strike has been called
Nv the robber, and 1.-The sheer Is gone
rom Casey's lips, his teeth are
.lenched in hate we wait with breath
ess eagerness the crack OF bat on
sail. Alas, it never comes! And
Oh! somewhere in this favored land
the sun is shining bright,
rhe band is playing somewhere and
somewhere hears are light.
And somewhere men are laughing and
somewhere children shout;
But there Is no JOY in sMudvilie-
mighty Casey has struck out.