All of us have read “Casey at the Bat” and probably we have heard it recited many times.  But did you know that “Casey at the Bat” is considered one of America’s most enduring poems?  Its closest rival for that honor is “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” to which we respond: bah, humbug!

And did you know that the town of Holliston, MA, located 20 miles west of Boston, claims that the Mudville section of their town was the actual setting for the poem?  But the City of Stockton, CA, which was known as “Mudville” prior to 1850, is equally fervent in asserting their claim as the setting for the poem.

Poet A.M. Juster has painstakingly researched the rich history of “Casey at the Bat” and he has written a comprehensive essay that answers all of your questions and more.  You will be particularly interested in the many connections to Boston baseball history.

If you only read one essay on poetry in 2013, please make it Mr. Juster’s fine feature and follow the link below:

www.lightquarterly.org/revamp/a-m-juster-2-summer-2013/

A special thank you to Mr. Juster for contacting bostonbaseballhistory.com and to LIGHT, a journal of light verse since 1992.