Baseball is America's National Pastime. While the game may have evolved throughout history, the game as we know it was popularized in the good old USA! The earliest mention of the game was found in 1791, the same year as the ratification of the U. S. Bill of Rights, in a statute in Pittsfield, Massachusetts banning "baseball" within 80 yards of a new town meeting hall. Alexander Cartwright is credited with writing baseball rules in 1845 for the New York Knickerbockers. The poem Casey At the Bat was written in 1888 by Ernest Lawrence Thayer. Casey was redeemed in a sequel, Casey - Twenty Years Later, written by Clarence P. McDonald in 1908.
The first World Series between the American League and the National League took place in 1903, when Bill Dinneen and Cy Young led the Boston Americans of the American League in defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League. Cy Young would go on to win 511 games during his career, the most ever for a pitcher. Walter Johnson of the Washington Senators was second on the all-time list with 417 wins and still holds the record for 110 career shutouts.
The Nationals of Washington, D. C. won the World Series in seven games on October 30, 2019. It was the first time in 95 years that the city of Washington enjoyed a Championship, ever since Walter Johnson won the 1924 World Series in a relief effort after 12 innings in Game 7 against the New York Giants. The 2019 Washington Nationals were a Wild Card team that on May 23 posted a disappointing 19-31 record. It was also the first time a World Series was won after sweeping all four games on the road, in Minute Maid Park against the Houston Astros. The Most Valuable Player was another pitcher, Stephen Strasburg, the first pitcher to go 5-0 in a single postseason.
Perhaps the greatest all-around player was Babe Ruth, who played from 1914 to 1935. In addition to hitting 60 home runs in 1927 and 714 career home runs, he also won 94 games as a pitcher with a 2.28 ERA. The Bambino is particularly remembered for his "called shot" on October 1, 1932, in the fifth inning of the third game of the World Series at Wrigley Field in Chicago. He pointed to centerfield and blasted a home run there into the stands. The "called shot" was confirmed in a recently discovered radio clip by none other than Lou Gehrig, who also homered right after the Babe. The Yankees swept all 4 games against the Chicago Cubs to win the World Series. Babe Ruth still holds the records for Extra-Base Hits with 119 in 1921, Total Runs with 177 in 1921, Total Bases with 457 in 1921, and for the highest Career Slugging Percentage of .690.
The song Take Me Out to the Ball Game was written by Jack Norworth and put to music by Albert von Tilzer in 1908, the refrain of which is still sung today in the middle of the 7th inning. Patriotism is still alive in baseball as both The Star-Spangled Banner and God Bless America are sung at every game. There is nothing more American or heartwarming than going to a game and seeing youngsters eating hot dogs and cheering for their favorite team!
Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd.
Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack,
I don't care if I ever 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.
The outlook wasn’t brilliant for the Mudville nine that day:
The score stood four to two, with but one inning more to play,
And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same,
A pall-like silence fell upon the patrons of the game.
A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest
Clung to the hope which springs eternal in the human breast;
They thought, “If only Casey could but get a whack at that—
We’d put up even money now, with Casey at the bat.”
But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake,
And the former was a hoodoo, while the latter was a cake;
So upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat,
For there seemed but little chance of Casey getting to the bat.
But Flynn let drive a single, to the wonderment of all,
And Blake, the much despisèd, tore the cover off the ball;
And when the dust had lifted, and men saw what had occurred,
There was Jimmy safe at second and Flynn a-hugging third.
Then from five thousand throats and more there rose a lusty yell;
It rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell;
It pounded on the mountain and recoiled upon the flat,
For Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat.
There was ease in Casey’s manner as he stepped into his place;
There was pride in Casey’s bearing and a smile lit Casey’s face.
And when, responding to the cheers, he lightly doffed his hat,
No stranger in the crowd could doubt ‘twas Casey at the bat.
Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;
Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt;
Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,
Defiance flashed in Casey’s eye, a sneer curled Casey’s lip.
And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air,
And Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.
Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped—
“That ain’t my style," said Casey. “Strike one!” the umpire said.
From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar,
Like the beating of the storm-waves on a stern and distant shore;
“Kill him! Kill the umpire!” shouted someone on the stand;
And it’s likely they’d have killed him had not Casey raised his hand.
With a smile of Christian charity great Casey’s visage shone;
He stilled the rising tumult; he bade the game go on;
He signaled to the pitcher, and once more the dun sphere flew;
But Casey still ignored it and the umpire said, “Strike two!”
“Fraud!” cried the maddened thousands, and echo answered “Fraud!”
But one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed.
They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain,
And they knew that Casey wouldn’t let that ball go by again.
The sneer is gone from Casey’s lip, his teeth are clenched in hate,
He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate;
And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,
And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey’s blow.
Oh, somewhere in this favoured land the sun is shining bright,
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light;
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout,
But there is no joy in Mudville — mighty Casey has struck out.
The Bugville team was surely up against a rocky game;
The chances were they'd win defeat and not undying fame;
Three men were hurt and two were benched; the score stood six to four.
They had to make three hard-earned runs in just two innings more.
"It can't be done," the captain said, a pallor on his face;
"I've got two pitchers in the field, a mutt on second base;
And should another man get spiked or crippled in some way,
The team would sure be down and out, with eight men left to play.
"We're up against it anyhow as far as I can see;
My boys ain't hitting like they should and that's what worries me;
The luck is with the other side, no pennant will we win;
It's mighty tough, but we must take our medicine and grin."
The eighth round opened - one, two, three - the enemy went down.
The Bugville boys went out the same - the captain wore a frown.
The first half of the ninth came round, two men had been put out,
When Bugville's catcher broke a thumb and could not go the route.
A deathly silence settled o'er the crowd assembled there.
Defeat would be allotted them; they felt it in the air;
With only eight men in the field 'twould be a gruesome fray,
Small wonder that the captain cursed the day he learned to play.
"Lend me a man to finish with!" he begged the other team;
"Lend you a man?" the foe replied; "My boy, you're in a dream!
We came to win the pennant, too - that's what we're doing here.
There's only one thing you can do - call for a volunteer!"
The captain stood and pondered in a listless sort of way.
He never was a quitter and he would not be today!
"Is there within the grandstand here" - his voice rang loud and clear
"A man who has the sporting blood to be a volunteer?"
Again that awful silence settled o'er the multitude.
Was there a man among them with such recklessness imbued?
The captain stood with cap in hand, while hopeless was his glance,
And then a tall and stocky man cried out, "I'll take a chance!"
Into the field he bounded with a step both firm and light;
"Give me the mask and mitt," he said; "let's finish up the fight.
The game is now beyond recall; I'll last at least a round;
Although I'm ancient, you will find me muscular and sound."
His hair was sprinkled here and there with little streaks of gray;
Around his eyes and on his brow a bunch of wrinkles lay.
The captain smiled despairingly and slowly turned away.
"Why, he's all right!" one rooter yelled. Another, "Let him play!"
"All right, go on," the captain sighed. The stranger turned around,
Took off his coat and collar, too, and threw them on the ground.
The humor of the situation seemed to hit them all,
And as he donned the mask and mitt, the umpire called, "Play ball!"
Three balls the pitcher at him heaved, three balls of lightning speed.
The stranger caught them all with ease and did not seem to heed.
Each ball had been pronounced a strike, the side had been put out,
And as he walked in towards the bench, he heard the rooters shout.
One Bugville boy went out on strikes, and one was killed at first;
The captain saw them fail to hit, and gnashed his teeth and cursed.
The third man smashed a double and the fourth man swatted clear,
Then, in a thunder of applause, up came the volunteer.
His feet were planted in the earth, he swung a warlike club;
The captain saw his awkward pose and softly whispered, "Dub!"
The pitcher looked at him and grinned, then heaved a mighty ball;
The echo of that fearful swat still lingers with us all.
High, fast and far the spheroid flew; it sailed and sailed away;
It ne'er was found, so it's supposed it still floats on today.
Three runs came in, the pennant would be Bugville's for a year;
The fans and players gathered round to cheer the volunteer.
"What is your name?" the captain asked. "Tell us you name," cried all,
As down his cheeks great tears of joy were seen to run and fall.
For one brief moment he was still, then murmured soft and low:
"I'm the mighty Casey who struck out just twenty years ago."