The Mighty Casey

Not a strong episode, the premise was weak and the message unclear. The acting was decent, but again too weak of a storyline to be enjoyable.

Hapless Hoboken baseball team hopes to turn fortunes around by employing unbeatable robot as star pitcher. In the process, however, they get a surprise.

A rather tragic episode whose attempt at whimsy doesn't come off despite winning performance by gangly Robert Sorrells as the genial robot. Apparently the production was almost wrapped when the star Paul Douglas suddenly died. As a result, much had to be reshot on a hurry-up schedule using Jack Warden. And it shows. As reviewer Mulrooney points out, the direction is "merciless", to say the least. Sorry to say, an inferior entry.

Interesting to compare current steroid scandal in major league baseball with premise of this show. Whereas robotic Sorrells has to become more "human' to stay in the league, some major leaguers now work at an edge by becoming more bionic. Ironically, the Mighty Casey's process is being reversed by today's homerun sluggers chasing the big bucks whatever the human cost. Although the episode may stand as an artistic bust, it does remain oddly topical.

Yes this episode sounds very familiar to us, now, in 2025, because I think it announces the Artificial Intelligence sixty years in advance, a future era where technology and robots will replace human beings? Back in 1960, maybe it sounded funny, amusing, interesting...Now, when I write those lines, I will not say it is sad, but it is still rewarding to discover this episode in a period where A I will slowly but surely replace the humans in any domain; including human feelings...I don't know anything about base ball, but I got the message. Nothing special however, besides what I said, just interesting. Bitterly interesting.

Jack Warden plays a professional Baseball manager of the perennial losers the Hoboken Zephyrs, who one day is approached by a mysterious inventor who promises him a chance to reverse his team's misfortune by giving his android named Casey a chance at play. Skeptical but desperate, the manager gives Casey a chance, and is astonished and delighted when Casey hits home-run after home-run, becoming a media sensation and giving the Zephyrs a fighting chance at the pennant until Casey's identity is threatened with exposure... Warden makes this otherwise featherweight episode tolerable, though remains among the least efforts in the canon. Will appeal most to Baseball fans.

...is a coward. Truly incredible story by my boy Rod.