Casey at the Bat

A Ballad of the Republic Sung in the Year 1888

By: Ernest Lawrence Thayer

Narrated by: Richard Poe

"The outlook wasn’t brilliant for the Mudville nine that day; the score stood four to two with but one inning more to play." Thus begins one of the most famous poems in American history: Ernest L. Thayer’s "Casey at the Bat". When the powerful Mudville baseball team enters the ninth inning of their game behind by two runs, things seem pretty grim. And when the first two batters make outs, it looks like their best player, the mighty Casey, won’t even get a chance to win the game for them. Then, two unlikely players get hits, and suddenly the crowd is cheering as Casey strolls to the plate.

Casey’s epic at-bat has delighted generations of listeners, young and old. Richard Poe’s timeless narration captures the crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd, and all the thrilling excitement of baseball - and life.

Public Domain (P)2001 Recorded Books

One of the most memorable poems every written

First read Casey At The Bat as a young adult and have read it over and over for many years. It is so wonderfully written and read here.

It's like watching a baseball game

The narration and the prose totally gave us a glimpse of what's like to watch a baseball game. It is engaging. It is descriptive. Totally a classic piece of literature.