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A ballplayer dressed in a turn-of-the-century, Mudville uniform recites ‘Casey at the Bat’ before 2004 Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies July 25, 2004 in Cooperstown, New York. (Photo by A. Messerschmidt/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON – Bryce Harper could learn a thing or two about staying power from this well-known, and mighty, baseballer.
“Casey at the Bat,” one of the most famous baseball poems, is celebrating its 125th anniversary.
The poem was first published on June 3, 1888 in the San Francisco Examiner, according to the Library of Congress.
Written by Ernest L. Thayer, the poem has inspired political cartoons and operas, according to a library blog posting.
To celebrate the occasion, the library recorded both Washington Nationals’ radio announcers Dave Jageler and Charlie Slowes reading the poem.
Listen to Slowes’ entire reading of ‘Casey at the Bat’
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Charlie Slowes, Library of Congress
You can also listen to a classic, theatrical reading from 1909 through the Library of Congress’ National Jukebox.
