The Other ‘Casey’ in Baseball

When thinking ‘Casey’ and ‘Baseball’, it would not be unexpected for most people to think of the slugger for Mudville from the famous poem, Casey at the Bat. But there is another Casey in baseball, whose words are better known and are sung at most games, but whose identity has been lost in the unknown verses. She shares my daughter’s name, Katie Casey. Here’s how it goes:

Katie Casey was baseball mad, Had the fever and had it bad; Just to root for the home town crew, ev’ry sou, Katie blew

On a Saturday, her young beau
Called to see if she’d like to go,
To see a show but Miss Katie said, “No,
I’ll tell you what you can do”:

CHORUS:

Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd
Buy me some peanuts and Crackerjack,
I don’t care if I never get back,

Let me root, root, root for the home team,
If they don’t win it’s a shame
For it’s one, two, three strikes you’re out,
At the old ball game.

Katie Casey saw all the games,
Knew the players by their first names;
Told the umpire he was wrong,
all along, good and strong

When the score was just two to two,
Katie Casey knew just what to do,
Just to cheer up the boys she knew,
She made the gang sing this song:

Listen to the oldest known recording of ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’ recorded by Edward Meeker in 1908.

The song, Take Me Out to the Ball Game, was written and first became a hit in 1908, which happens to be the last time that the Cubs won the World Series. In 2008, we’re bringing Katie Casey back, and the Casey’s will help see the Cubs bring their own poetic ending to their 100-year championship drought. And though they lost a heartbreaker 4-3 in today’s opener with the Brewers, we don’t fret. This will be our year.

I am currently re-living the 1908 baseball season, and the Cubs last World Championship, with the help of the book, Crazy ’08 which I am enjoying greatly and highly recommend.