 Hi, I'm Leslie McVane the host of a story to tell where a program where I interview people about their stories or stories They might have about other people and today we have such a treat My guest is Mort soul, and he's not only going to tell us a little bit about himself But he's also going to tell us the story of Casey at the bat. Hi, Mort. Good morning, Leslie How are you? I'm delighted. Well, you are quite the your family the soul family is like, you know Hall of Fame in sports for Maine, right? Man's Hall of Fame, yeah I think your family probably has more people in that Hall of Fame than any other family Well, don't don't exclude the Bowdoin College Athletic Hall of Honor either. Oh, well, we wouldn't want to leave Bowdoin out of it I'm assuming the big B is not for Bates Although I think your mother went to Bates. My mother was Bates. So she might think that could go either way I bet she is, yeah, she's speaking to us now, I'm sure. You come from quite the family Your dad or your uncle your brothers Grandfather are all sports people. Yes Football in particular For most of them right a little track thrown in yes and some baseball Some baseball. Yes, and now you excelled at baseball at Deering High School Yes, you did and football Well, I played I played I was co-captain at both Deering and Bowdoin So why both? I mean what I mean one was in the fall and one was in the spring Keep in mind in those days It was especially in high school The one sport athlete was very very rare nowadays. It seems to be the norm but no I played Base football in the fall and then in the The winter indoor track and and even though you may find it had to believe we still have a Ruckett at the Portland Expo and I led off Handed the baton to a fellow named Bill Flynn to Paul Gray to future US Congressman Tom Allen and that record was set and Would have been 1962 and then a couple years ago They moved the meat from there to Gorham, and so the record will be there at infinitum Well big deal, so you you hurt your shoulder I think the summer before I went to college. Yeah, and that was the baseball kind of was like not Well, I tried my senior year and through they put me at first base And so I was able to come in side arms Side arm and and I I did okay that year. Yeah. Yeah, wow And then at Bowdoin you played football. Yes, and baseball. Yes, I played baseball my my senior year Yeah, now you ended up doing two years of the football team Oh, I played for I played I played for the freshman football team and four years Yeah, with excuse me in three years sophomore year through my senior year And we want to let our audience know that that was when Bowdoin really had a football They were really good. Well the bet that Without question, I think the the greatest victory was against the University of Maine Mm-hmm, and that would have been in the fall. Oh goodness. Am I going to get this right? 1961? 1963 yes, thank you 1963 when the Bangor Daily news said Bowdoin should not only not be allowed in the town of Orono and not even on the field With the University of Maine. Well sophomore Paul Sol my older brother put on quite a show that day and Bowdoin beat me And the first one in the Bowdoin locker room to congratulate them was University of Maine All New England guard Phil Sol. Oh my oldest brother. Oh wow. So it was nice. You had people on both sides Yeah, so you did not leave baseball behind when you left college Well, I played in the twilight league and I and I played in the the over 40 league In Brunswick. Yeah, I but you also coached. Yes, I did for many years Yeah, and now you go to games all the time. Well, my son is the head coach at Greeley and he's one of four state championships Yeah, so I go and yell at the head coach and Whatever I suggest he does the opposite and he wins And you also go and sit on the bench at Bowdoin whenever they play with with some of your teammates from From the days when you were at Bowdoin. Well, sit in back of them. Yeah. Yeah, not on the bench unless you have a Alumni game that was fun. I'll have to go to that now you're famous for something else and I heard this recently up at Bowdoin sitting on the bleachers with you this You do a wonderful rendition of Casey at the bat. Thank you And I'm gonna step aside and let you do that for our audience Okay, it was kind of it's it was difficult to memorize it Not everybody walks around and says then upon that stricken multitude grim melon coley sat It took me several hours to learn that life But you've done that all over you did it at Fenway Park before a game Yeah, Coopers Town, New York at the National Baseball Hall of Fame right over here at Hadlock Field But usually it's a it's a little league banquet and they give me a red hot dog and That's my stipend. Well, we're not gonna give you anything but we want to hear you hear you say this So I'm gonna step aside and You're gonna do your thing. Thank you. Okay Thank you and welcome to Mudville a small town. Let's say 150 miles Northwest of New York City The day I remember it well August 13th 1888 the citizens of Mudville were very proud of their baseball team, but On this afternoon the outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville nine that day the score stood four to two with One inning left to play and when Cooney died at first and Barrows did the same a sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game a Struggling few got up to go in deep despair the rest Clung to that hope that springs eternal from the human breast They thought if only Casey could get a whack at that We'd put up even money now with Casey at the bat, but Flynn proceeded Casey as did also Jimmy Blake and the former was a Lulu and The latter was a cake So upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat for the same but little hope of Casey coming to the bat but Flynn led driver single to the wonderment of all and Blake the much despised tore the cover off the ball and When the dust had lifted and fans saw what had occurred There was Jimmy safe at second and Flynn a Hugging third then from five thousand throats and more of their rows a lusty yell It rumbled through the valley it rattled on the dial it knocked against the mountain and recoiled upon the flat for Casey Mighty Casey Was advancing to the bat There was ease in Casey's manner as he stepped into his place. There was Pride and Casey's bearing and a smile on Casey's face and while greeting the crowd he Lightly tipped his hat No stranger in the crowd could doubt That's Casey at the bat Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt 5,000 tongues applauded as He wiped them on a shirt and while the withering pitcher ground the ball into his hip defiance gleamed from Casey's eye a Snare curled Casey's lip Now the leather cover spheroid came hurtling through the air and Casey stood a watching it and Haughty grandeur there close by the sturdy batsman The ball unheeded sped It ain't my style said Casey Stay right one The umpire said From the benches black with people there went up a muffle roar like the beating of a storm wave On some stern and distant shore Kill him Kill the umpire Shouted someone from the sand. It's likely they'd have killed him Had not Casey raised his hand with a smile of Christian charity Great Casey's visit shown he Still the rising tumult He bid the game go on. He's singled to the pitcher And once more the spheroid flew Casey still ignored it And the umpire said Steer on to Madden thousands and echo answered fro But once gone full look from Casey and the audience was odd They saw his face grow stern and cold. They saw his muscles strain and they know He would not let that ball go by again The smile has gone from Casey's lips. He grinds his teeth and hate He pounds with cruel violence Is bad upon the plate and now The pitcher holds the ball And now he lets it go And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow Oh Somewhere in this favorite land The sun is shining bright The band is playing somewhere Somewhere hot sunlight Somewhere people laugh and somewhere children shout but There is no joy in mudville Mighty Casey has struck out Okay, well This was such a treat to have more tell the story of Casey at the bat Now he's put me at the bat and we're gonna see what happens, but please real strikeout looks like a jazz kid She's gonna hit the home run. I I'm the strikeout. Yeah. Yeah, I mean I'm I'm better than you than I look Anyway, if you have a story to tell I would love to talk with you and you can contact me at leslie les le y Mac at portland media dot org Strike one No home run