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The Night Casey Was Born: The True Story Behind the Great American Ballad "Casey at the Bat"

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Two great moments in baseball are chronicled in this book, the creation of the poem "Casey at the Bat" and the subsequent events that popularized it. No bit of verse better captures the essence of a sport than "Casey." It was written by Ernest L. Thayer and was first published in the "San Francisco Examiner." However, it remained unknown until a recitation of it was added to a performance at Wallack's Theatre in New York. Renowned actor DeWolf Hopper read the epic and that event is the origin of the title.
Even though "Casey" was written over a century ago and when professional baseball was still a relative infant, the moods and experiences expressed in those few lines will always describe the role that baseball plays in the American existence. It is a timeless tale of an event that has been repeated thousands of times since it was written and will be repeated thousands of times in the future. Walsh not only describes the creation of the poem, he has also captured the context of the moment, as America began to recognize a national treasure about the national pastime.