Answer:
Casey at the Bat: A Ballad of the Republic Sung in 1888' is the full title of an American poem written by Ernest Lawrence Thayer. The poem tells the story of the final half-inning of a baseball game. The home team of Mudville is losing four to two. The first two batters for Mudville quickly strike out, but the following two get on base safely so that a home run will win the game for Mudville. The next batter is the team's star hitter Mighty Casey, whom the crowd believes will pull through.
In the poem, Mighty Casey gets two pitches right down the middle of the plate, but he passes them up, waiting for an even better pitch to hit. The crowd is in a frenzy because one more strike means that Casey is out and the game is over.
Mighty Casey sneers at the pitcher with determination, and the pitcher makes the third pitch. Casey swings incredibly hard, and the author notes that in other places in the country, people are happy and smiling -- but not in the ballpark because Casey has struck out to lose the game for Mudville.
