Ornament Review: Casey at the Bat - Storybook Classic Collection #12 - 2017 Disney Store Release

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Perfectly captures the character

Cons: Not as good as some others in the series

The Bottom Line:

Casey takes a swing

In this good ornament just

Not quite as detailed

Does This Casey Ornament Hit a Home Run or Strike Out?

We’ve reached the final ornament in The Disney Store’s Storybook Classic Collection, and they’ve picked another rare character to close things out.  We are ending with Casey at the Bat, an ornament based on a segment from Make Mine Music.

Again, I had to rewatch this part of the movie since it’s been years since I sat down to watch the 1940’s package features.  The story is about Casey, a baseball superstar.  His team is down by two runs going into the bottom of the ninth.  By the time Casey comes up to bat, there are two men on base.  The crowd is going crazy since they assume the game is in the bag.  Casey is likewise so confident that he lets the first two balls go by.  And then he swings at the third pitch, and misses to everyone’s horror.

The ornament captures Casey before his comeuppance.  He’s walking up to the plate with multiple bats over his shoulder.  And his cap is doffed as he acknowledges his fans.

It’s a great moment – that isn’t actually in the short.  I had to watch that scene twice because I thought it had to be.  I mean, it fits the character so perfectly, I’m shocked it isn’t actually there.  I’m guessing it was an illustration in the book that have also been the inspirations for these ornaments, however.

While the moment itself isn’t in the short, it doesn’t capture the character overall very well.  The details we get, down to the lavender shirt look just like he does in the short.

Since the ornament is just him, I do feel like it is a bit simple.  When you look at some of the other ornaments we’ve gotten in the series, they are so detailed and really works of art.  I’m not saying this ornament is bad looking, it’s just not the best in the series.

Casey is walking on grass, and that grass forms a circle that is the base of the ornament.  It’s nice and flat, so you can set it out to be displayed year-round if you like.  There is a red, white, and blue banner around the base, and that is a touch I love.

This ornament comes with a yellow green ribbon through the loop instead of The Disney Store’s traditional red.  I assume the attempt was to coordinate with the ornament better.  When you pick up the ornament by the ribbon, you’ll find that it tips a little bit to the side.  It’s noticeable, but once you get the ornament in the tree branches, you won’t really be able to tell.

So the Storybook Classic Collection isn’t finishing off with the strongest entry in the series.  Still, those who like the Casey at the Bat short will like having this in their collection.

Check out the rest of the Storybook Classic Collection.

Original Price: $19.95