The Mighty Casey

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.

This is a decent enough episode about a baseball team that must resort to a robot to get the job done. Of course, when the whole cheating thing comes into play, the game is diminished and it becomes about the people in charge and their decisions. It's about what happens when we inject humanity into the equation. When Casey begins to mow down the hitters he is indeed a robot. This is a rock and a hard place. He can't pitch because he's not human--how do we make him human. Like in the Wizard of Oz, we give him a heart. In Damn Yankees there is a song, "You Gotta Have Heart." That's a baseball movie. Of course, once we get a heart, we begin to see that there are others around us that we need to be concerned about. Suffice it to say, those who get their wishes too easily don't always profit very much. This is no exception. But it leaves you with hope that cheating can win out in the end.

One of the weakest episodes from Season 1 by far. It's attempt at being whimsical and light doesn't hit home and there's nothing particularly Twilight Zone-esque about this episode. It feels very short and there's not a lot of substance here. Some of this might have to do with the last minute re-shoots but, even so, the story and script are weak as far as Twilight Zone's concerned. This seemed like it came right out of a mediocre sitcom.

This Twilight Zone episode tends to be a bit whimsical, a tale that could have come from the pen of a Damon Runyon or a Paul Gallico. It's another Joe Hardy type player who comes to the Zephyrs and moves them considerably up in the baseball standings.

It's mighty Casey, a pitcher who is a robot played by Robert Sorrells and who was created by Abraham Sofaer who must be a baseball fan because Casey has built into him a fast ball like Sandy Koufax and a sweeping curve like Warren Spahn. Casey is mowing them down at the plate and the Zephyrs are on the move to the delight of their manager Jack Warden.

As for Paul Harvey's 'rest of the story'. One can look to Star Trek the Next Generation and Data's quest to become more human. Or even more simply to Jack Haley's wish in The Wizard Of Oz.