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.

“I Am Legend” and The Cubs

So here we are, just three days from baseball season (good god, what has become of me), and I’m watching my new DVD “I Am Legend” for the second time. As a teen I worked in movie theaters, and in college I worked as a movie theater projectionist, and so I got in the habit of seeing movies that I like multiple times. I guess that may explain why I enjoy collecting DVD, particularly for the special features they offer, as well as for the minor details that are easily missed in the first viewing of any movie.

So tonight I’m watching “I Am Legend” for the second time, and it begins with the sound of a sports radio program where the hosts are discussing the coming baseball season, and they predict a Chicago Cubs vs. New York Yankees World Series. And of course, I’m not spoiling anything to let you know that shortly after every person on the planet either dies or turns into a vampire that preys on the few remaining survivors. They don’t say how many Chicago Cubs survive, or if the Vampires continue to play baseball (only night games?), but it rather looks like a prediction of a Cubs World Series win is in fact a portent of the end of the world.

So the season starts on Monday. And it’s been 100 years since the Cubs last win, which provides a very poetic opportunity to end the drought, don’t you think? Let’s just hope the end of the world Vampire virus doesn’t strike until AFTER the Cubs end their century long series drought.

Wait Til Next Year

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I bought a ‘W’ flag on Ebay and it arrived in yesterday’s mail. It’s the same sort of flag they fly over Wrigley Field in Chicago when the Cubs win. The flag arrived in time for some hopeful use this season, but it was not to be. The Arizona Diamondbacks swept the Cubs aside last night, winning their third straight game and ending the Cubs season. Today the ‘L’ flag flies over Wrigley, and the ‘W’ on my new flag has new meaning, ‘Wait Until Next Year’.

As dissapointing as the ending was, I enjoyed a great season with the Cubs this year. I got to see them four times, once in DC, and a wonderful three times at Wrigley in August. Winning the division championship was great, I only wish the MLB.com shop had managed to deliver my new Cubs championship cap and t-shirt to me in time to wear before their season was over.

The Cubs last won the World Series in 1908. Next year offers a poetic opportunity for a century-delayed repeat. Eamus Catuli!

A Season Ends Badly

I’ve only been following Major League Baseball with any kind of close interest for the last few years. It started really with the Sosa/McGuire home run chase in 1998 (which in hindsight was likely a steroid fueled cheat), and has grown year by year as we follow the Cubs and see them when we can. This season, they sucked. And their win in today’s season-ender put them securely in last place in their division, without even the lowly Pirates to look down upon.

Yup, the Cubs really stunk it up this year. But at least they we’re not 100-game losers like the Royals!

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