casey at the bat poetry 3

Casey at the Bat by Ernest Lawrence Thayer

A straggling few got up to go in deep despair.
The rest cling to that 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 despised, 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 - hugging third.

This is one of the most famous things ever written about the game of baseball. I like it because Thayer did such a good job portraying what the game is really like. Anything can happen in Baseball. This is the only sport that can truly say that. Thayer gives an example of this when Blake and Casey both get hits when it seemed like there was no way they could. He counters there mighty hits by having Casey strike out to once again prove that anything is possible in the game of baseball.