The repetition of a dumbfounded line by a character over successive strips is a technique I first saw in the venerable Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz.

In the 1962 Baseball World Series, the San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees were tied at 3-3 with the final and deciding game played at Candlestick Park. In the bottom of the 9th, with the Yankees leading 1-0, the Giants had two outs, a runner on third and Willie Mays representing the winning run on second base. Willie McCovey strode to the plate to try to bring the series home for San Francisco.

Any baseball fans reading this know what happened next. McCovey slammed a hard line drive to right field over the head of Yankee second baseman Bobbie Richardson...

Over his head, but not over his glove. He snatched the catch, ending the game, and securing a 4-3 series win for the Yankees.

Schulz, being a dedicated Giants fan, was devastated. So much so that he drew a Peanuts strip in response. Charlie Brown and Linus are sitting on a pavement, heads morosely drooped, saying nothing for three panels. In the last panel, Charlie Brown yells, "Why couldn't McCovey have hit the ball three feet higher?"

A follow-up strip opened with the same three panels, ending with Charlie Brown screaming, "Why couldn't McCovey have hit the ball just two feet higher?"

Growing up in Australia, and having no idea about baseball, I still found these strips somewhat funny. The humour for me was built purely on the repetition from one strip to the next, as I didn't understand the reference. In fact, although I always remembered those particular strips while I have forgotten most of the other of the thousands of specific Peanuts strips I've read over the years, I never understood the reference until just a few months ago, when I decided to research it.

And it's a fascinating story.

And the Giants still have not won a World Series since moving from New York to San Francisco in 1958, despite coming agonisingly close once again in 2002. So as the US baseball season dawns once again... Go Giants!