Ernest Lawrence Thayer

THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED to all those children of spring who have found moments of heaven in the smell of a freshly mowed ballpark beneath their feet, a well-worn and oiled glove on their hand, the crack of a bat on a ball and the umpire's bellow of "Play Ball," but most especially Bill, Oil, Sean, Patrick, Ryan, Ryan O, Matt, Matty, William, Biff, and Christian.

— from Casey At the Bat, 1998