Casey at the Bat in depth

Strike Three

America, and the world love sport; there are hundreds of types, but the one thing that links them all together is the emotion. For players and fans alike, the emotional involvement with the game is what draws them to it; and for Americans, there is one sport in particular that ignites their passion – baseball. Baseball has been called “America’s pastime” for a reason; the suspense, drama, and pride wrapped up in this game have captivated generations. The poem, “Casey at the Bat” effectively captures the emotion tied into the sport of baseball. “Casey at the Bat” is a poem about the last inning of a Mudville baseball game. The team is down two points, and the first two of their batters had already been sent back to the dugout. However, luck seemed to be on their side, the next two batters reached base, and the best hitter on the team was up to bat; Casey. The confident-cocky Casey let the first two balls go by; both were strikes. Then the last pitch came, the crowed held their breath as Casey took a swing; and to quote the poem, “but there is no joy in Mudville -- mighty Casey has struck out.” There are two distinct psychological personalities present in this poem; these emotional beings are the audience and Casey. The actions and words of both shed light on each others personality and mental state during that final, historical inning.

First and foremost, nowadays attendance rates amongst professional baseball games can be in the thousands. When that many people are grouped together, the

Murakami 2 emotion of the game can have an effect on the group’s mentality. The audience in “Casey at the Bat” is no different. When people are in large groups, they begin to think and act as the same as the people around them. When more and more people begin to conform, the group itself actually becomes a separate entity; an entity with its own opinions and emotions that can act as a separate character in itself. The audience in the poem begins the inning with a sense of optimism. As with any new inning, the crowd will always be hopeful; this can be inferred within the first and second stanzas. In the second stanza, it states that, “A pall-like silence fell upon the patrons of the game;” now in order for a let-down to occur, there must be some prior excitement, hence the optimism in the beginning of the inning.