"Casey Gets A Hit"

    "Casey Gets a Hit"
(with apologies to Ernest Lawrence Thayer)
    dedicated to my nephew Casey Hyde
who I taught to hit



things were more than sad for the Nut's and Bolts top nine
until the second inning things seemed to be just fine
with the home team in the field and the score at nine to two
the future seemed quite bright til the opposition came through

with 3 runs in the third and 2 more in the fourth
it seemed Rat City had exhausted all its worth
most had left the ballpark
for hope had left the field
for every single pitch had caused our heroes to yield
 
the score remained the same for the remainder of the game
for all the good they did the hitters could have been lame
so in quiet horror the remaining people sat
until the final inning when Casey came to bat

his slump had lasted decades til he finally began to hit
line drives, ropes, and doubles, that inevitably hit someone's mitt
it wasn't that he didn't strike the ball with force to save the day
just that it always seemed to land in the other players' way

0 for 59 he came to bat that day
haven't had a hit in over 50 days
from somewhere on the bench the crowd heard someone say
oh man, we are had for Casey's at the bat this day

in the final inning with Valle leading off
the strangest thing that happened was he managed to get on
Jay soon followed him and above derisive grin
singled into center and fooled most everyone

followed by Olivo soon hit by a pitch
Casey came to bat while everyone bitched
the first pitch sailed past while Casey faked a bunt
he ignored the slider that I would call a very clever drop

he growled, he snarled, and whimpered when the final pitch was thrown
with all the strength he had he put his season on the line
and fouled off quite weakly down the first base line

he could not fault the umpire for not giving him a break
for when the final pitch was thrown and given all that Casey could take
he slammed down to the ground right in front of home plate
and ran his butt down the line with everything he could fake

Oh, Somewhere down in the land of rats
White Center to some of us
we no longer cry in pain for the losers
we used to watch

as the ball dropped in front of home
with 3 men on base
the catcher saw he had no play at the plate
and fired hard to first where the ball in flight did stay

number 9 threw a rope to 6 which ended up at 7
with just one chance to catch the man he threw into the stands
when Casey finally crossed the plate
he was the greatest hitter in our great eternal land.

© Sam Hyde
   06-07-12