The Annotated Casey at the Bat: A Collection of Ballads About the Mighty Casey/Third, Revised Edition [Paperback]

Martin Gardner (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 22, 1995

Entertaining tribute to the immortal slugger tells the story behind one of America’s best-loved poems. Includes introductory material on author Ernest L. Thayer, complete original version of poem and a profusion of amusing sequels and parodies, among them Casey’s Revenge, by Grantland Rice, Why Casey Whiffed, by Don Fairbairn; and Casey’s Sister at the Bat, by James O’Dea.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications; 3 Revised edition (September 22, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486285987
• ISBN-13: 978-0486285986
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #505,589 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Joy in Mudville, May 10, 2000

By 

Jay Rudin - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Annotated Casey at the Bat: A Collection of Ballads About the Mighty Casey/Third, Revised Edition (Paperback)

The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Casey fans that day,

For their favorite ballad's history was fading fast away.

So when "Casey's Wife" was hard to find, and other poems were worse,

A pallor wreathed the features of the patrons of the verse.

A staggering few gave up the search, leaving there the rest,

With hope that springs eternal, within the human breast.

For they thought if only Gardner would take a careful look,

They'd put their hard-earned money down, if Gardner wrote a book.

But collecting all the parodies was too much work to do;

Mad Magazine had written one; and Grantland Rice wrote two.

And so the stricken multitude might never get to know 'em,

For there seemed but little chance of learning all about the poem.

But Dover publications has a Casey book to read,

With every bit of Casey lore that you will ever need.

To find these old forgotten poems, you need just take a look,

For Gardner, Martin Gardner, has compiled them in a book.

There is fun in Gardner's comments; there is wit from this old sage;

There are reams of careful research, and notes on every page.

So if you click the button, and wait a day or two,

There'll be Casey on your bookshelf, with all the others, too.

...

Oh, somewhere in these fabled lands, the sun is all too dim,

A band is silent somewhere, and somewhere hopes are slim,

And baseball lore is fading, and no one cares a bit,

But there is great joy in Mudville - Martin Gardner's scored a hit!

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Home Run, December 26, 2009

By 

Allyn Rothman (Commack, New York United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Annotated Casey at the Bat: A Collection of Ballads About the Mighty Casey/Third, Revised Edition (Paperback)

Martin Gardner does not let you down with this collection of variations of this famous poem. His annotations shed light on the history of this work. If you enjoyed his Annotated Snark, Annotated Alice, Annotated Ancient Mariner, etc. you will enjoy this. Casey may have struck out, but Mr Gardner certainly didn't.