“Casey at the Bat”

Cultural  

1. A poem by Ernest Lawrence Thayer from the late nineteenth century about Casey, an arrogant, overconfident baseball player who brings his team down to defeat by refusing to swing at the first two balls pitched to him and then missing on the third. The poem's final line is, “There is no joy in Mudville — mighty Casey has struck out.”

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Example Sentences

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“Casey at the Bat”

The children’s literature choice last week when I landed: “Casey at the Bat” by Ernest Lawrence Thayer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

At the start of every baseball season, reflecting on the canonical baseball poem “Casey at the Bat” is a worthy custom.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 31, 2021

For instance, what if Edgar Allan Poe had written “Casey at the Bat”? “Quoth the umpire, ‘Strike three!’

From Washington Post ● Jul. 12, 2019

Even if he had taken one last lusty “Casey at the Bat” swing, and missed, perhaps his fate would have been different.

From New York Times ● Jul. 28, 2011

There was much more, including his annotated editions of “Casey at the Bat” and “The Night Before Christmas.”

From New York Times ● May 24, 2010