Casey at the Bat

Penned by Ernest Thayer in 1888, "Casey at the Bat" is a longform poem describing a typical baseball game, wherein the fans of the "Mudville Nine" are rooting for their beloved hitter Casey to win the game for them. An iconic poem in the annals of baseball history, it is possibly the Ur Example of Down to The Last Play.

Tropes found in "Casey at the Bat":

 * Defictionalization: In a tribute to the poem, the real-life Stockton Ports minor league baseball team renamed themselves the Mudville Nine in 2000 and 2001.
 * Down to The Last Play:
 * Miracle Rally: Subverted. A series of mediocre players make it to base, and it looks like Mudville will come back at the last moment. Then their team hero, Casey, strikes out, losing the game.
 * Shoot the Shaggy Dog
 * What an Idiot!: