Dan Casey

Daniel Maurice Casey (November 20, 1862 – February 8, 1943) was an American professional baseball player whose career spanned from 1884 to 1894 and 1899. He played in Major League Baseball, principally as a pitcher, over parts of seven seasons for four major league clubs. He saw his most extensive playing time with the Philadelphia Quakers, appearing in 142 games for that team from 1886 to 1889. He also appeared in 46 games for the Syracuse Stars in 1890.

Casey led the National League with a 2.86 earned run average (ERA) and four shutouts in 1887 while playing for Philadelphia. Over the course of his seven seasons in the major leagues, he compiled a 96–90 win-loss record in 201 appearances, with a 3.18 ERA and 743 strikeouts.

In his later years, Casey claimed to be the Casey about whom Ernest L. Thayer wrote his famous poem, "Casey at the Bat." Casey was given a parade honoring him as the famed "Casey," was featured on a national radio broadcast, and participated in a "re-enactment" of "Casey at the Bat" when he was age 78. The poem's author denied that his work was based on any real player, and several sources have called Casey's claim into doubt. Casey had a career batting average of .162 and one home run.