[Eerie music]
(Male narrator) You are about to enter another dimension
a dimension not onl y of sight and sound, but of mind
a journey into a wondrous la nd of ima Gina tion.
Next stop, the twilight zone.
Wha t you're looking a t is a ghost
once alive, but now deceased.
Once upon a time, it was a baseball stadium
tha t housed a major league ball club
known as the hoboken zephyrs.
Now it houses nothing but memories
and a wind tha t s tirs in the high grass
of what? t was once an outfield.
A wind tha t sometimes bears a fa int ghos tl y resemblance
to the roar of a crowd tha t once sa t here.
We 're ba ck in time now
when the hoboken zephyrs
were still a part of the na tional league
and this ma usoleum of memories
was an hones t-to-pe te stadium.
But since this is strictl y a story of make-believe
ithas to start this way.
Once upon a time in hoboken, New Jersey,
it was tryout da y.
And though he's not yet on the field
you're about to meet a most unusual fellow
a left-handed pitcher
named Casey.
Grand-looking bunch of boys, huh?
Were you expecting the all-stars?
You have tryouts for a last-division club
31 games out of first
this is the material you round up.
This is the material you usually round up.
You're general manager.
Why don't you get me ballplayers?
You'd know what to do with them?
20 games out of fourth place
and the only big average we got
is a manager with the widest mouth in either league.
Maybe you better get reminded
when the hoboken zephyrs win one game
we got to call it a streak.
Oh, buddy boy, when contract time comes around
you don't have to.
How's Fletcher doing?
Are you kidding?
He pitched one inning last week
and only allowed six runs.
He's the most valuable player of the month.
[Phone ringing]
Dugout.
Yeah.
Who?
Want to look at a pitcher?
At this point, I'll even look at you.
Send him over.
He's a lefty.
Lefty, schmefty. What's the difference?
If he's got more than one arm
and less than four, he's for us.
Hey, monk!
Yeah?
Fletcher can quit. I got a new boy coming down.
Ca tch him for a while.
Check.
You got the lineup for tonight?
I'm working on it.
Who's pitching?
I just feel them one-by-one.
Whoever's warm goes to the mound.
All right, Chavez.
Stop already with the calisthenics.
That guy on the end's turning blue.
(Man) Mr. Mcga rr y?
All right, what's the gag?
Did this muttonhead put you up to it?
You're the pitcher, huh?
Big joke. Yuk-yuk-yuk!
Big joke!
Oh, no, I'm not the pitcher.
I'm Dr. Stillman.
I have thrown baseballs in my time.
That was before the war.
Yeah? Which war?
[Chuckling]
(Stillman) Ah, here comes Casey now.
He '5' the pitcher.
Casey, this is Mr. Mcgarry, the manager of the zephyrs.
No, no, your right hand, Casey, your right hand.
[Groaning]
Ohh.
Oh!
[Groaning]
You can let go now, Casey.
See that fellow out there with the big mitt?
He's what is known as a catcher.
His name is monk.
Go on out and throw him a few.
Thanks very much, Mr. Mcgarry.
Put your cap on, Casey.
Good lad.
All right, I see you, I see you.
You his father?
His father? Casey's?
Oh, no, no. He has no father.
I am what you might call, his...
Well, kind of, uh, creator.
How old is he?
That's a little difficult to say.
Well, guess.
What I mean is
it's hard to be chronological
when discussing Casey's age
because he's only been in existence three weeks.
What I mean is that he has the physique
and the mind of a boy of 22.
But in terms of how long he's been here
the answer to that would be, uh, three weeks.
You want to go over that again?
It's not too difficult, really.
You see, I made Casey.
I built him. He's a robot.
These are the blueprints I worked from.
Why do you have to pick on me
all the time, huh?
[Loud thud]
[Whoosh]
That's his fast ball.
[I/oopj']
That's his curve.
[Long slow whistle]
That's his slow ball.
He's a bit late.
[Soft thud]
Well, look, I'll, uh... You, uh... uh... [clears throat]
Why don't you wait right here, huh?
Uh-huh.
All right, let me see that fast ball.
[Whoosh]
All right, the slow ball.
[Slow loop]
Did you see that kid?
The best pitcher I ever caught.
Yeah, monk, I saw it.
He... he...
I saw it, I saw it!
Take a shower.
He's got a fast ball...
Go take a shower.
Take a shower!
He pitches like nothing human.
Well, he's...
He's rough, doc, he's plenty rough
but I think we can give him a try.
He's a robot, you know.
Don't ever say that.
That's one we'll just keep in the family here.
Don't ever say the word r-o-b-b-o-t-t.
Uh, Casey.
Baby...
Want to come here?
Well, it looks like you got
a little potential there, Casey.
I was telling the doc you're a little rough
but we'll work that out.
I think we'll give you a chance.
I like to help young ball players.
[Hollow plunk]
Why don't you go down now
and change your clothes, huh?
He does wear clothes, doesn't he?
Oh, yes, yes.
Go down and take a shower
and then the three of us
will discuss a contract, huh?
Go with him and check his blueprints.
I think that last slow ball shook him up.
Very well. Come on, Casey.
General manager's office.
Beasley? Draw the contract.
The only thing between us and the pennant
is if this guy's battery goes dead or he rusts in the rain.
Never mind what I mean. You draw the contract.
Then, uh, come on down here.
I want you to shake hands with your new ace pitcher.
[Crowd cheering]
You, uh, you got
the signals down all right, kid?
Yes.
Kid, don't be nervous.
Nervous?
Ill at ease, Casey, as if
your electrodes were malfunctioning.
You know, nervous.
Like there's two out in the ninth.
You're one up, and Joe DiMaggio
comes to the plate looking intent.
Well, that wouldn't make me nervous.
I don't know anyone named Joe DiMaggio.
Oh, yeah.
I forgot about that.
Well, you just get in there.
Go ahead.
Mr. Mcgarry,
what team is Casey pitching against?
The New York giants.
Oh, I'd love to beat those giants.
But for that matter, I'd love to beat Cincinnati
or Philadelphia, or the braves.
Or even the Hicksville bullets.
They beat us 11-0 in spring training.
Oh, I think Casey will come through for you, Mr. Mcgarry.
Yeah? What's in this for you, doc?
Oh, you mean with Casey?
Oh, just scientific, that's all.
Purely experimental.
You know, I think Casey's some sort of a Superman.
I'd like to have that proven.
Once, I built a home economist
and marvelous cook.
I gained 46 pounds
before I had to dismantle her.
Now with Casey's skills
I consider that with his strength and accuracy
he'd be a baseball pitcher.
Now in order to have that proved
I had to have him pitch in competition
and as an acid test,
to pitch on absolutely
the worst ball team I could find.
Thanks a lot, doc.
You got a lot of class.
Play ball!
[Whoosh]
Stee-rike!
[Crack of bat]
[Hollow plunk]
[Crowd gasping]
No fracture, no concussion, reflexes seem normal.
I think you're going to be all right, Mr. Casey.
Oh, boy. I can breathe again.
All I kept thinking about
was, "there goes Casey.
"There goes the pennant.
There goes the series."
There goes your career.
(Doctor) Yes, sir, Mr. Casey.
I think you're in good shape here.
Although when I heard
how hard that ball hit you,
I wondered to myself how a...
How a...
Howa...
Cough, Mr. Casey.
[Mechanical click]
What's wrong?
Well, there's nothing wrong.
Then what are you prying for?
Well, there's not a thing wrong.
Everything is just fine.
It's just that...
Just that what?
Well, this, uh...
This man doesn't have any pulse.
No heartbeat.
This, uh...
This man isn't alive.
It will have to come out now.
What's this all about, mouth?
What are you trying to pull off?
You're not gonna like this but...
Uh, doctor, I think you should know this
before you go any further.
This man hasn't a pulse or a heartbeat
because he doesn't have a heart.
He's a robot.
(Doctor) A what? t?
(Stillman) A robot.
You're sure?
By all means. I built him.
And he's been pitching for the hoboken zephyrs.
Under the circumstances, as team physician
I'm afraid I must notify the baseball commissioner.
Casey, move over.
Article six, section two, the baseball code.
I quote...
"A team shall cons/st of nine men."
End of ouo te.
”Men, " understand?
Not robots.
He's suspended.
Tha t's my final decision.
Commissioner, to all intents and purposes
he is human!
Casey...
Talk to him.
Tell him about yourself.
What should I say?
See? He talks better than me
and he's a lot smarter
than most of those muttonheads.
He is not human!
How human do you want him?
He's got arms and legs and a face and he talks.
And no heart.
He doesn't even own a heart.
How could he be human without a heart?
Beasley hasn't got a heart either.
He owns 40% of the club.
Tha t's it. He doesn't ha vea heart
that means he isn't human.
That's a clear violation
of the baseballcode.
He doesn't play.
Mr. Commissioner
suppose we gave him a heart.
If that's what makes him different
I think I could operate and supply him with a heart.
You can do that?
No troublea tall.
Do you wanna play?
Of course he wants to play.
[Laughs]
You're sure?
I guarantee it.
If he were to be given a heart
would you classify him as a...
Well, what I mean is, would you call him a...
He had me fooled even without one.
All right, all right.
With a heart, I'll give him a temporary okay
until the league meeting in October.
Then we'll have to take it up.
The other clubs
are gonna scream bloody murder.
I can just hear durocher now.
[Chuckling]
Well, then it's all settled.
Casey gets a heart
and accreditation as being a human
and the hoboken zephyrs...
Take it, mouthy.
The hoboken zephyrs win the pennant
for the first time in 23 years.
[Jiggling] (Beasley) Opera Tor.
[Jiggling] Opera Tor!
Opera Tor, you sure you 're ringing the right number?
Yeah, that's it.
Thank you very much.
Any news?
The operator can't get an answer.
The doctor's still not at his house.
Maybe he's still in the middle of the operation.
Whatsamatter? He can't use one hand to pick up a phone?
I can't wait any longer.
I gotta give them the lineup.
Carter, you start.
Followed by O'Hara, Smith and Jones.
Now listen, you guys.
That's the enemy out there.
That's the New York giants.
While you're out there,
remember there's a big fellow named Casey
lying on a table struggling for his life.
And I know that the last thing he said
before that night when he had his chest,
[sniff]
He said, "go out there, zephyrs,
and win this one for the big guy."
Pull yourself together, monk.
And I'll tell you something else, you guys,
from now on, there's gonna be a ghost in the dugout,
number 7.
Old number 7.
So just before you go to ba ttle,
I want you to look over to where he used to sit,
'oa use he's gonna be there.
He's gonna be there in spirit.
And he's gonna be yelling for us,
and rootin' for us! And screamin'...
"Go, zephyrs! Go, go, go!"
Hi, Casey.
And I'll tell you something else
about the big guy.
He has got a heart.
Casey!
[All shouting]
How are you, old boy?
All right, all right, quiet down. Quiet down.
Well?
(Stillman) Tell him, case y.
Listen, Mr. Mcgarry.
[Ticking]
You got a heart.
Looka t his smile.
The one thing I couldn't get him to do.
Yeah. It's wonderful.
Just wonderful.
I feel like togetherness.
All right! Let's get out there!
[Shouting]
Here you are, seven.
Go suit up.
Togetherness.
Play ball!
[Crowd cheering]
All right.
All right, I'll listen.
I'm a reasonable man, I'll listen to anything.
As you well know, doctor, but maybe you can tell me
how one minute he can look like three Bob fellers
and the next like a tanker with nothing.
Or maybe you can explain, Casey,
how you can pitch nine balls and allow four singles
two doubles, two triples and a home run.
Shall I tell him, Casey?
Well, somebody tell me.
Casey's got a heart.
All right, so Casey's got a heart.
The thing is, Mr. Mcgarry,
I just couldn't strike those poor fellows out.
I didn't have it in me to do that,
to hurt their feelings.
I felt compassion.
Tha t's it. He's got compassion.
See how he smiles?
Give a man a heart, Mr. Mcgarry,
particularly someone like Casey
who hasn't been around long enough
to understand competitiveness or drive or ego.
That's what happens.
I'm sorry, Mr. Mcgarry.
I just can't hurt fellows' careers.
Dr. Stillman thinks
I should go into social work.
That's right.
I want to help people.
Bye.
Well, I know somebody he can help for a start.
Perhaps you'd like to keep Casey's blueprints.
A little memento might cheer you up.
Goodbye.
Wait, wait.
Hey, doc, wait a minute!
Doc!
Hey, doc! Wait a minute!
Doc!
Hey, doc!
Wait a minute!
(Male narrator) Once upon a time there was a major league baseball team
called the hoboken zephyrs
who during the last year of their exis tence
wound up in last place
and shortl y thereafter wound up in oblivion.
There's a rumor, unsubstantia Ted, of course,
tha ta manager named mcgarry took them to the west coast
and wound up with several pennants
anda couple of world's championships.
This team had a pitching staff tha t made his Tory.
Of course, none of them smiled very much
but it happens to bea fact
they pitched like nothing human
and if you're interested
as to where these gentlemen came from
you might check under ”b” for ”baseball"
in the twilight zone.
(Male announcer) Rod serl inc, the creator oftwilight zone,
will tell you about next week's story
after this word from our al terna te sponsor.
And noi/I/, Mr. Serl ing.
Next week, we take you back
into the dark and hidden, unexplored recesses of a writer's mind,
and do some probing as to just how this type of bird operates.
It's a fascinating excursion into the oddball.
On the twilightzone next week, Keenan wynn and Phyllis kirk
star in Richard Matheson's a world of his own,
and in this particular one, even this kooky writer gets into the act.
Good night.
[Eerie music]
(Male announcer) Kimberle y Clark in vi te s you
to wa tch Steve mcoueen
in wanted dead or alive.
Sa turda y nights o ver most of these same s ta tions.