Date: Sat, 27 Dec 1997 14:58:32 -0500

From: Gerald Cohen gcohen[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]UMR.EDU

Subject: "Mudville" update



I have received the book _Ernest Thayer's "Casey at the Bat"_, by Jim

Moore and Natalie Vermilyea and now have the following thoughts on

"Mudville":



1) There seems to be no doubt that Thayer had Stockton, California in mind

when he wrote the poem. Page 234 says: "The poem...was obviously written

to amuse Bay Area readers. because the mountain, the valley, the flat, and

the dell (delta) evoke Stockton--Slough City--Mudville, as do the names of

the players."



The authors add on p.238: "Thayer probably had in mind Mount Diablo,

'the silent sentinel of the San Joaquin Valley,' the landmark that guided

the first wagon trains to the Golden State in 1841, to the ranch at the

foot of the mountain where Dr. John Marsh, a Harvard man [G. Cohen: as was

Thayer] was awaiting the party with a dinner of pork and hot tortillas.

Mount Diablo plays an important part in the history of Stockton, and was

incorporated into the great seal of the city in 1851... It was quite a

scene Thayer had concocted for the opening act, with a spectacular

California setting.



Back to p. 234, where the authors start devoting 2 1/2 pages to the

players mentioned in the poem:



a) Cooney --Billy Cooney played outfield for Stockton in 1887.

b) Flynn--Dan Flynn played for Stockton in 1887 and part of 1888 as pitcher

and shortstop.

c) Blake--"There was no Blake on the Stockton nine in the California League

in 1887 or 1888, but there was a player named Blakiston who could be

'Blake, the much despis-ed'; he played for Stockton in 1888."



2) Even with the above case made for Stockton, one cannot rule out the

possibility that Thayer's native state, Massachusetts influenced his

thinking to some degree. The authors (p.240) regard Boston superstar Mike

Kelly as the possible inspiration for the character Casey: "Mike had all

the qualifications...; last but not least, he struck out swinging one day

in San Francisco when he wished he hadn't."



Also, the authors write (p.236): "The other player

mentioned--Barrows--is a mystery, although there was a player on the 1871

Boston Red Stockings named Frank Barrows. He might have made a deep

impression on a Worcester lad of eight [G. Cohen: i.e., on Thayer]."



3) Let's see if the Massachusetts Historical Society is able to locate a

Mudville in Massachusetts and if Thayer would likely have known about it.

Evidently no book or article on "Casey at the Bat" has yet mentioned such

a town.



--G. Cohen



gcohen[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]umr.edu