TAKE THAT, WISE GUYS

September 18, 1924

So I had a long talk with Benny this morning while we ate hot muffins from a wagon on Broad Street. Yelling at the Pirate players wasn't helping one bit, so unless we were going to run on the field and trip or tackle them, it was probably a better idea to just sit in the stands and do some rooting and praying like Phillies fans normally do.

What we never imagined was the Bucs tripping themselves up by being braggy jerks.

Yup, manager Bill McKechnie decided our team was so horrible that he could shuffle all his lineup spots like playing cards and beat us anyway. Which is what he did, leading off Cuyler, batting Wright third and Traynor fourth and speedy Max Carey all the way down at seventh. Their pitcher Kremer went along with it, even with him going for his 20th win, but Wright spoiled his plans in the Phillie 1st by tossing away a grounder and helping us get two runs.

Both Kremer and Hal Carlson pitched nothing but zeroes for the next six innings, Carlson doing his usual runner-stranding magic. After another Wright flub in the 7th, Hal tripled off the wall, scored on a Heinie single, and we were up 4-0! Then it was time for the Pirates to get mad again, and they put together a nifty two-run rally in the 8th started by a Cuyler single of course. Betts came on in relief and got Moore and Carey to end the mess, Mokan singled in our fifth run, and we actually got them out in the 9th, Cuyler rapping into a double play to end it.

"We beat the Bucs!" yelled Benny, making much more noise than the other thousand or so people who were there. "The heck with that, we won a baseball game!" I shouted back. Then I gave him a good hug because I was headed back to Brooklyn tonight to start my new life with Rachel.

The strange thing is that the Pirates are also headed to Ebbets Field and their final three with the Robins, so I guess the start of our new life might include a pair of sausage rolls.
—Vinny

PIT 000 000 020 - 2 10 2
PHI 200 000 21x - 5 10 0

Other ballgames today:

at ROBINS 10-16-1, CARDINALS 4-10-2
It's 4-1 Cards headed to the last of the 3rd, when Jesse Haines just plain cracks open. A single, walk, error by him and double by Dick Loftus gives Brooklyn two runs, before the Robins score one in the 6th, four in the 7th and two more in the 8th to run away with the game and give Decatur a rare win. If Brooklyn can pull off a miracle sweep of the Bucs they'll be just three games out. Do I believe in miracles?...Usually!!

REDS 6-16-4, at GIANTS 4-10-0
As Rachel's father would say, oy. Up 2-0 thanks to more horrible Cincy fielding, Jack Bentley turns in another in his never-ending series of sickening starts for the Giants, giving the Reds five hits and three runs in the 4th, then three more hits and a run in the 5th before he's yanked out for Wayland Dean. The Giants try and fight back but leave runners in scoring spots every inning against Tom Sheehan, who ends up going the whole way. Pittsburgh's magical digit drops to four with the New York loss.

CUBS 6-14-0, at BRAVES 0-2-0
Can we hear it for the Crushing Cubbies? They finish an amazing 21-1 against the Braves and do it in style as Aldridge shuts them down for his first shutout and 20th win of the season.

SENATORS 5-9-0, at INDIANS 4-7-0
Not sure which A.L. battle Butterworth made it to today, but they're both tight and Washington clinches at least a tie for the pennant in this one as Curly Ogden goes to 19-6 and Bucky Harris racks up his 16th game-winning hit, second to Goslin on the team.

at TIGERS 6-9-1, ATHLETICS 3-10-3
With Whitehill dueling Heimach 1-1 through five, Heilman breaks the game up with a solo homer and Rigney triples in three in the 7th to put the last-place Mackers away. The Yankees are at Navin Field tomorrow while the Senators are in St. Louis, but I don't have a good feeling about any miracles happening in Michigan.

RED SOX 9-15-0, at WHITE SOX 4-12-4
Ehmke goes the distance, and Boston wins their season series with Chicago 13-9.

YANKEES 10-13-4, at BROWNS 2-6-1
Wally Pipp continues his mashing with a double, homer and single, Ruth walks four times and scores four times, and Shawkey beats Vangilder to save a little face, even though the Browns take this series 13-9.

NATIONAL LEAGUE through Thursday, September 18
Pittsburgh Pirates	90	55	.621	—
New York Giants	84	61	.579	6
Brooklyn Robins	84	61	.576	6
Cincinnati Reds	80	65	.552	10
Chicago Cubs	77	68	.531	13
St. Louis Cardinals	69	76	.476	21
Philadelphia Phillies	56	89	.386	34
Boston Braves	40	105	.276	50
AMERICAN LEAGUE through Thursday, September 18
Washington Senators	88	56	.611	—
Detroit Tigers	80	66	.548	9
Chicago White Sox	76	69	.524	12.5
New York Yankees	73	71	.507	15
Boston Red Sox	69	76	.476	19.5
St. Louis Browns	68	78	.466	21
Cleveland Indians	65	81	.445	23.5
Philadelphia Athletics	61	83	.424	26.5

A DAY FOR THRILLING AGONY

WITH THE MAGICAL DIGIT AT TWO, A PAIR OF DISPATCHES SUPPLIED

By C. Jedediah Butterworth
Base Ball Freescriber

September 17, 1924

Felling a bit more up to snuff, I decide to take in the second game against the Athletics at Navin Field, while sending my loyal pilot south to Cleveland to report on the Senator doings. I arrange for Smith to sit with the press wags at League Park, and as long he has forgotten his flask I believe his homespun observations will match anyone's.

NAVIN FIELD, INNINGS 1-3
Rip Collins hurls for us, eager to erase the recent memory of his failure vs. Washington, but things do not go as planned from the outset. A lead walk to Bishop and singles by Dykes, Miller and Simmons puts us behind 2-0. Our record against this last-place club stands at a very average 9-11, and the locals are instantly prepared for another day-long struggle, but the Tigers match the score right away as Heilman doubles in Rigney and a two-base gaffe by Dykes plates Heilman. Dykes makes up for that with a scoring double of his own in the 3rd, so it is 3-2 Athletics as we go to the 4th...

LEAGUE PARK, INNINGS 1-3
They make an incredible meat sandwich here. I could stand to see a few more tarts in the stands, but oh well. Zahniser and Shaute are the pitchers, so says the writer-guy next to me, and after three Senator singles in the 1st and a mess of bad fielding by the Indians in the 2nd, it's 3-0 Washington. But look at this! Four Cleveland singles and a plain stupid throwing error by Harris in the same inning and it's 3-3 after three. Damn!

NAVIN FIELD, INNINGS 4-6
A stroke of incredible fortune occurs in the top of the 4th when A's pitcher Baumgartner twists an ankle while popping out and has to be replaced by Rollie Naylor. Rollie gets through the 4th without incident, but allows a single and three straight walks in the 5th to tie us at 3-3. When Del Pratt clubs a home run to lead our 5th, we take the lead, and look to the score board for news from down the road...

LEAGUE PARK, INNINGS 4-6
Some idiot in a suit told me I couldn't drink my scotch up here, so I'll have to do a better job of hiding it. And Shaute better do a better pitching job if he knows what's good for him. The Senators put four hits together in the 4th and take the lead on another big Goslin smack. Hey! Here's the Indians tieing up the game again, this time with the help of a big Ossie Bluege error! I'll sure as hell drink to that! And there goes lousy Zahniser for Mayberry in the 6th as the Indians get a single, two doubles and three walks and go up 8-5, Yowsa yowsa!!

NAVIN FIELD, INNINGS 7-9
Collins is his old unhittable self again, having retired his last 14 hitters as we go to the 9th. Who would think that Bill Lamar would then arc a ball deep down the right field line, where it drops over the fence and a leaping Harry Heilman, and we are tied again and must play extra frames! Curses! At least the Senators have fallen behind, right Smith? Smith??...

LEAGUE PARK, INNINGS 7-9
Nobody up here knows how to dance, I tell ya. Nobody! What do they think they're doin' watchin this game that was over a half hour ago and now is just a big Indian scalpin' party with bloody Senators and Congress people lyin all over the field. Someone says there's 29 people left on the bases in this one but it sure looks like around 58 to me for some reason...GET your hands off me college boy or I'll—

WAS 120 200 001 - 6 15 3
CLE 030 203 15x - 14 16 3

NAVIN FIELD, INNING 10
Collins issues a lead single to Galloway in the 10th, but Cobb doesn't even think of relieving him. Meeker bunts the runner over but Ripper coaxes flies from Bishop and Dykes and we repair to the last of the 10th, knowing Cleveland has matters in hand down south and officials there undoubtedly have my cohort in a comfortable paddy wagon. Rigney lines a single with one out, with Cobb up a wild pitch bounces past catcher Hale. The crowd is on their feet, hooting their throats open. Tyrus watches a few pitches go by, then sizzles a ball into right for the game-winner! Nine games behind certainly looks better than ten, and tomorrow it can be eight!

PHA 210 000 001 0 - 4 7 1
DET 200 011 000 1 - 5 12 0

Other American League games:

at WHITE SOX 4-7-2, RED SOX 3-7-1
Able to beat their pale counterparts all year, Boston suddenly cannot, as bargain-rate homers by Collins and Mostil do in Jack Quinn.

at BROWNS 3-16-0, YANKEES 2-10-1 (14 innings)
I realize I have been critically severe most of the season when it comes to Babe Ruth, but I swear to my readers I am not inventing these things. Today, with the entire regular Yankee infield except Pipp out with injuries, with Combs going out in the 8th with another injury, in a park with the wind blowing out to a short porch, a park where the Babe can check his swing and put the ball in the seats, the Bambino strikes out his first five times up against Dixie Davis, grounds out his sixth time against Pruett, until Hoyt gets around to giving up three singles in the 14th and losing the game. Not that the game has any meaning whatsoever; it is just worth noting.

AMERICAN LEAGUE through Wednesday, September 17
Washington Senators	87	56	.608	—
Detroit Tigers	79	66	.545	9
Chicago White Sox	76	68	.528	11.5
New York Yankees	72	71	.503	15
Boston Red Sox	68	76	.476	19.5
St. Louis Browns	68	77	.465	20
Cleveland Indians	65	80	.444	22.5
Philadelphia Athletics	61	82	.427	25.5

AIN'T NO PIRATE'S LIFE FOR US!

September 17, 1924

"That was an embarrassing embarrassment yesterday," is how Benny greeted me this morning, fresh with a new plan for sinking the unsinkable Pirates' ship at Baker Bowl. "Look. They know they're good, the Phillies know they're good, everyone who's been following this damn game all year knows they're good. What we gotta do this time is make them feel guilty about beating our brains in."

"And how do we do that?"

He smiled and pulled a giant roll of gauze bandage out of his pocket. "Hold out your arm."

So there we were an hour later, an usher I knew walking us down to some great empty seats behind the Pittsburgh dugout, me with my left arm and half of my head completely wrapped in bandages, giving me the look of a shellshocked mustard gas victim. I also had some baking flour rubbed into my face to make me look more pale, and I guess it was working because a half dozen or so Phillie fans moved out of the way to let us pass. Benny was all spruced up and had on fake whiskers so he could pass for my dad, and when one of the old Pirate coaches headed past us, he caught his eye with a wave.

"My son's very first game!" he said with a wink, "Take a little pity on us, okay?" The coach didn't say a word back but kind of nodded so we figured he was telling the players when he went into the dugout.

Which didn't explain why the Bucs got four singles, a passed ball and three runs right out of the gate. Oh, I know. Because stupid useless Jimmy Ring was on the mound again, shooting for his 20th loss, and we'd forgotten to talk to him first. It probably wouldn't have worked anyway because he would've recognized us in a second, but even if he laughed it might've loosened him up and got him pitching better.

Nope, it was Benny's job to yell at Pirates lefty Emil Yde the second he walked to the mound. "Your teammates are heartless cowards, Emil!" he began, "But you don't have to be! Look at my poor kid here! Give us a break, would ya??" Yde wouldn't even turn his head, but it was clear after he whiffed the first batter Schultz that something wasn't right with him. Hod Ford doubled into the corner, Holke walked, and Cy beat out an infield hit. "Thank you, Emil, thank you!!" shouted Benny, "My boy just smiled, did you see that?" Catcher Earl Smith walked to the mound to settle Yde down, probably to tell him to ignore the idiot yelling behind their dugout.

Up stepped Jimmie Wilson, the tiny crowd making a ton of noise, and Jimmie cracked one high and deep to left. Cuyler ran back to the fence and jumped but it was in the seats for a giant slam!! We led 4-3!! I forgot I was supposed to be crippled and jumped out of my seat and Benny had to shove me back in it while he got to hoot and holler.

Holke booted one at first with two outs in the 2nd to let the Bucs tie the game, and then nothing happened until the 4th, when Grimm tripeld and Moore singled him in to put us behind 5-4. After Schultz walked with two gone in our 4th, Ford got his third hit, another double, to put men at second and third. Holke came up and had a long, tough at bat. His seventh foul ball came right into our row and I jumped up out of instinct and snagged the thing, but the bandage broke on my left arm in the process and there I was standing there, the crowd around us cheering the catch and every Pirate standing at the top of the dugout staring at me hard. Uh-oh.

Traynor led the 5th with a single. Wright walked. Maranville doubled, Yde singled after lining another foul ball into our section on purpose. Two outs later Moore walked, Cuyler hit Pirates triple no. 122 on the year to give him 138 runs knocked in, Ring was sent to the salt mines and we were losing 10-4. I ripped the entire bandage arrangement off my head and glared at Benny, and he bought me a pretzel and lemonade and patted my back. "It's okay, pal. We don't need no stinkin' ruse. COME ON PHILS!!"

I don't know if the Phils heard him or not, but we woke up all over again in the 5th. Four singles, a walk and third Ford double gave us four runs right back and it was 10-8! On the score board, Brooklyn and New York were also winning, so this could be a fun day after all. Steineder was in for us so we had a chance to hold them, but we forgot who we were facing, I guess. Two outs in the 7th, Moore singled, Cuyler walked and Earl Smith doubled them in and we were down 12-8 just like that. I'm telling you, if the Senators beat these guys in the World Series it'll be a damn miracle.

I stood and yelled at my old friend Heinie Sand in the last of the 9th. He already had two singles and a triple for the day, gave me a nod and then popped one in the seats just for me! It's pretty sad when you mash the Bucs for ten runs and 15 hits and end up losing—our 11th in a row if anyone's still counting—but the good news is that we only have to play these bloodless rascals one more time, and if we win we'll end up 4-18 against them!
—Vinny

PIT 310 015 200 - 12 16 1
PHI 400 040 002 - 10 15 1

Other National League games today:

at ROBINS 6-10-4, CARDINALS 3-10-1
After yesterday's big Dazzy dive, Grimes comes through with a huge effort, and Brooklyn scores five times off Sothoron in the 6th on just two hits. They need the runs bad because their defense has a swiss cheese problem all day.

at GIANTS 7-9-4, REDS 2-5-4
Wow. Talk about holey defense. Eight errors combined in the game, but Nehf outlasts Luque when Kelly busts open the game with a 2-run belt in the 7th. The Cincy loss and Bucs win finish off the Reds for the season. With their pesky attack and super pitching they stayed in the race much longer than anybody thought they would, and you gotta tip your hats to them.

CUBS 4-12-1, at BRAVES 3-10-1
Boston almost actually beats the Cubs but they don't because they're the Braves. After coming back to tie the game 3-3 in the 5th, Benton gives up a run-scoring single to Cotter the next inning and that's that. If Chicago can beat them tomorrow they'll finish at 1-21 against the Cubs. Gadzooks.

NATIONAL LEAGUE through Wednesday, September 17
Pittsburgh Pirates	90	54	.625	—
New York Giants	84	60	.583	6
Brooklyn Robins	83	61	.576	7
Cincinnati Reds	79	65	.549	11
Chicago Cubs	76	68	.528	14
St. Louis Cardinals	69	75	.479	21
Philadelphia Phillies	55	89	.382	35
Boston Braves	40	104	.278	50

SICK TO THEIR STOMACHS

NATS AND TIGERS FALL TO BOTTOM-FEEDERS 95 MILES APART

By C. Jedediah Butterworth
Base Ball Freescriber

September 16, 1924

My weeks of aero plane travel have finally caught up with me, for today I am laid up in our master bedroom with Bonnie's cold compress on my forehead. Smith has been kind enough to fetch me ball game dispatches all afternoon, so I am able to follow the American League action as it winds down to its inevitable climax.

And it is not an uninteresting afternoon.

Down at League Park in Cleveland, Mogridge has a rough time of it against the recently warming Indians, giving them fourteen base runners in seven and a third innings of toil, while Sherry Smith is the first southpaw in a while to do away with the rampaging Senators. Two of Yoter's three errors at third base prove responsible for both of Washington's runs, while every Tribe stick-swinger except Jamieson plays a part in their surprise win.

Across town here at Navin Field, the good score board news from down the highway does nothing to inspire the local nine. In fact, they play one of their worst games of the year at the worst possible time. Against the last-place Athletics, owners of the most hideous road record in the league, Syl Johnson is bashed about early and quite often, and Philadelphia baserunning mishaps are the only things that keep the game from spinning wildly off its rails.

Luckily, Dennis Burns fares no better, and the Tigers battle back without Blue and Heilman in the lineup to make the score 6-5 A's in the 7th on a 2-run Topper Rigney homer. In the last of the 9th, an Al Wingo double plates O'Rourke to tie the game, Cobb walks, and after Harriss relieves Burns, Manush beats out a slow roller to load the bases. But when Bassler grounds meekly to second, it is a horrible omen.

Sure enough, the usually reliable Hooks Dauss takes the hill and crumbles like a Spanish mission in an earthquake. A Bishop single, bunt, Miller double, and singles by Lamar, Hauser and Simmons send him back to the crypt he emerged from, and only one excruciating moment is left for the few Detroiters left in the stands. With one run across and the bases loaded for us, Cobb bounds out to Bishop to end the two hours of torture. The Senators' magical digit is down to two.

PHA 301 020 000 4 - 10 17 2
DET 110 100 201 1 - 7 15 2

WAS 010 010 000 - 2 6 0
CLE 202 100 02x - 6 11 3

Other American League games today:

at WHITE SOX 5-8-0, RED SOX 1-11-3
Terrible hit usage by Boston does them in here, and Sloppy Thurston notches his 20th victory as Chicago closes in on second place again.

YANKEES 8-17-0, at BROWNS 4-11-4
Joe Bush tries his best to throw away a 5-1 New York lead but the Browns beat him to it, four different fielders flubbing balls to keep the Yanks a lordly two games above .500. Wally Pipp continues his ribald swinging with three more hits and the game-decider.

AMERICAN LEAGUE through Tuesday, September 16
Washington Senators	87	55	.613	—
Detroit Tigers	78	66	.542	10
Chicago White Sox	75	68	.524	12.5
New York Yankees	72	70	.507	15
Boston Red Sox	68	75	.476	19.5
St. Louis Browns	67	77	.465	21
Cleveland Indians	64	80	.444	23.5
Philadelphia Athletics	61	81	.430	25.5

MEN ON A MISSION

September 16, 1924

When me and Rachel got back to Brooklyn yesterday, there was our own bedroom upstairs which Saul had all ready for us,and there was a fabulous homemade dinner of brisket beef waiting to be eaten, and there was a telegram from Benny in Philadelphia sitting on the table for me to read:

BUCS MUST PERISH. THREE GAMES AT
BAKER START TOMORROW.
OUR LUNGS DESPERATELY NEEDED.

What could Rachel say? She wanted Pittsburgh to lose more than anyone except maybe her father. And after our nice relaxing honeymoon, she agreed that an after-marriage reunion with my best friend for a few days could be a healthy thing, and Mama wouldn't mind hearing about French Canada either. So that was that.

I reminded Benny the second we got on the streetcar today that the Phillies had lost nine games in a row, but he didn't want to hear a drop about it. "The dang Boston Braves beat the Pirates yesterday, Vinny. Wise up!" Still, this wasn't the same Phillies team I batboyed for during the summer, and it was pretty obvious in the 1st inning. After Max Carey led with a single off Hubbell, Schultz let a double go to the wall in right, Wilson kicked a dribbler in front of the plate and the Bucs had two unearned runs right off the bat.

"Oh Kiki!!!" yelled Benny from our bleacher seat as soon as the best player in baseball took left field in front of us, "Now I know why they gave you a bird's name! Because you're a scavenger like the rest of your team! SCAVENGERS!!" Cuyler turned around for one scary moment and Benny dropped behind a fat guy in front of him, which wasn't easy for him to do because there were only about three dozen people in the entire bleachers.

What's made the Pirates a first-place team all year is that they never, ever seem to get rattled, and Benny's scavenger plan did nothing right away. Wright, Maranville and pitcher Cooper all singled to begin the third. Carey walked, Grimm doubled past Schultz again for two more, and after a Moore single it was 6-0 Villains.

Our team looked like they'd rather be getting their teeth pulled out. Cy grounded out four times for the day, and we swung at every piece of junk Cooper threw up there, not walking once the whole game. Cuyler made outs his first two times so Benny started calling him "Crummy Kiki" along with "lucky oaf" and kept jabbing my ribs to get me to yell along with him, but it didn't feel right after I yelled a few times. Crummy Kiki responded with singles his last three trips up to get his average to .376, and the Bucs ended the day with 17 hits and a shutout.

"We need a new idea for tomorrow," is all I said to Benny as we trudged down to Mort's after the game. "They haven't won no stinkin' pennant yet!" is all he would say.
—Vinny

PIT 240 011 000 - 8 17 1
PHI 000 000 000 - 0 6 2

Other National league games today:

CARDINALS 8-10-0, at ROBINS 1-6-3
Uh-oh. I sure hope Rachel stayed home for this one. Dazzy Vance, who lost a brutal close game to the Cards his last time against them, just gets creamed this time, as Bottomley wallops a 3-run blast in the 1st and Brooklyn is hypnotized by none other than Flint Rhem and his 5-13, 6.51 statistics. That's why in baseball, you never know anything.

at GIANTS 3-8-1, REDS 2-10-2
By far the best game of the day. Eppa Rixey is up 2-0 at the Polo Grounds into the 7th when Critz flubs a ball for one Giant run, Gowdy ties the game in the 8th with a homer, and Frisch wins it in the bottom of the 9th with a sacrifice fly to score Groh on Edd Roush's arm. New York is back alone in second and stays six behind the Bucs.

CUBS 5-15-1, at BRAVES 2-8-0
Chicago is now 19-1 against the Braves as Alexander goes to 19-4 and Hartnett knocks in three. They've been the hottest team for almost two months, so too bad they're eliminated.

NATIONAL LEAGUE through Tuesday, September 16
Pittsburgh Pirates	89	54	.622	—
New York Giants	83	60	.580	6
Brooklyn Robins	82	61	.573	7
Cincinnati Reds	79	64	.552	10
Chicago Cubs	75	68	.524	14
St. Louis Cardinals	69	74	.483	20
Philadelphia Phillies	55	88	.385	34
Boston Braves	40	103	.280	49

STRANGERS UNDER A TRAIN

September 15, 1924

For a team lying on its pennant death bed, what better preacher is there to deliver the last rites than Walter Perry Johnson of Humboldt, Kansas?

The Tigers make it easy for him today at Navin Memorial Gardens by fielding Wingo and Pratt in place of the untimely injured Blue and Heilman, and as a result, this reporter will be bidding an imminent farewell to his home club, unwilling to watch it be lowered into the ground.

For their part, Detroit begins the game in a feisty way, scratching out two runs against the Senator ace when Peckinpaugh muffs Rigney's grounder, before a wild pitch and singles by Manush and Bassler cause the huge crowd to temporarily lift their veils.

But they are dropped again in short order. Portsider Ed Wells, seemingly in baserunner trouble every moment of the season, has the game knotted on him with a two-out, two-run double by Washington manager Harris. Bucky is far and away the player of this series, and knocks in the eventual game-winners in the 4th with another two-run double. A judge single following that makes it 5-2, and all cheering potential in the grand yard swirls down the drain. A Rigney single in the 5th brings home Burke, but it is our final scoring breath of the day.

From there it is a Big Train spectacle, as he strands Manush on second after Heinie opens the 6th with a lead double, and a Pratt walk is the only mole that surfaces on the rest of the game's skin. Johnson's record improves to 22-10, and when his scimitar of an arm unleashes the final strike against Bob Jones in the 9th, the White Sox chances die in Chicago, and suddenly there are just two eaters left in the American League dining hall.

Bonnie and Smith and my precious children try to console me at dinner later, for despite my temperament change through the course of the year, seeing a loved one die before your eyes is still difficult to accept. It is Smith, however, who uplifts my spirits by keeping me laughing.

"Great news if you ask me," he says, between mouthfuls of beef stew, "Who the hell wants to watch Cobb win another World Series?" I toasted him with my glass of seltzer, and began to think of the final weeks ahead. The Braves did beat the Pirates today, in fact, so miracles of the National League variety are still possible.

WAS 020 300 000 -5 10 1
DET 200 010 000 - 3 6 0

Other ball games today:

at BRAVES 9-14-0, PIRATES 3-7-0
Yes, you read correctly. Lee Meadows is crushed by a five-run 5th and Johnny Cooney is a master of the mound, taking a 9-0 lead into the 9th before the Bucs leave a three-run calling card en route to Philadelphia.

CUBS 6-13-0, at PHILLIES 2-8-1
Hardly noticed, the hapless Phillies drop their ninth game in a row and now must welcome Pittsburgh to town. On the other bank of the river is Chicago, who behind Vic Keen's sterling work and a Hack Miller homer improve their record to 34-17 since July 20th.

at WHITE SOX 7-15-0, YANKEES 5-9-2
Herb Pennock is ripped off the mound by Huggins in the 7th and kicked out of the rotation for the rest of the year. Finishing with a hugely disappointing 16-16 record, with 323 hits racked up against him, Pennock in my view is the number one reason for New York's struggles. After battling back to tie the game 5-5 in the 8th, the Yanks give it away instantly on a Bibb Falk double against the equally disastrous Milt Gaston.

at BROWNS 6-9-1, RED SOX 3-9-0
Urban Shocker outlasts Ferguson in a truly meaningless affair witnessed by virtually no one.

NATIONAL LEAGUE through Monday, September 15
Pittsburgh Pirates	88	54	.620	—
New York Giants	82	60	.577	6
Brooklyn Robins	82	60	.577	6
Cincinnati Reds	79	63	.556	9
Chicago Cubs	74	68	.521	14
St. Louis Cardinals	68	74	.479	20
Philadelphia Phillies	55	87	.387	33
Boston Braves	40	102	.282	48
AMERICAN LEAGUE through Monday, September 15
Washington Senators	87	54	.617	—
Detroit Tigers	78	65	.545	10
Chicago White Sox	74	68	.521	13.5
New York Yankees	71	70	.504	16
Boston Red Sox	68	74	.479	19.5
St. Louis Browns	67	76	.468	21
Cleveland Indians	63	80	.441	24.5
Philadelphia Athletics	60	81	.426	26.5

IN THE KINGDOM OF MOLSON

September 14, 1924

Montreal is a bigger Quebec City with less horse dung and more English-speaking. After our Frontenac chateau experience it was a shock to be in a regular size hotel off of St. Catherine Street, the road where everything's going on here. There were restaurants and tobacco merchants and lady undergarment shops and big shopping stores and half-naked girlie clubs and more taverns than you could count. Rachel and me even split up for an hour or so to give us a chance to take in what we liked, and then we met up at a supper club called Brasserie Champlain over on St. Denis Street, which we were told has a lot of sporting fans.

Well, that wasn't telling the whole story. There were framed pictures of horse jockeys, local baseball teams, boxers and about 89 different hockey players stuck on the walls. Behind the bar there was even a ticker machine so we could get the American ball scores. We had to sit there anyway because there wasn't a table ready for us yet, so everything worked out.

The bartender, whose name was Jacques, liked Rachel right away because she spoke French to him. He was an expert on Molson Ale, and started pouring out one kind after another for us. The Molson Brewery's been around since 1786 if you can believe that, and they've had women working in their bottling plant for over fifty years now. The Export Ale was plenty delicious, and it didn't take long for Rachel and the barman to be talking about baseball. Brooklyn was up 3-0 on Cincinnati with Doak pitching and when Jacques discovered Jack Fournier was her favorite player he poured us two free ales right away.

"Jacques Fournier!" he said, "He is from Michigan but is French!" So began our next hour of ale-drinking. Fournier as it turns out was having a great day and ended up with three singles, a double and a walk as Doak shut the Reds down on just two hits. A jazz combo started up around 5 p.m. and very tipsy Rachel pulled me off my stool for a little dancing. That didn't sit all too well. Molson reached the three million gallons of ale production a few years ago and it felt like two of those million were inside me.

The rest of the evening was just a big drunk mystery, but I think we were standing on the bar singing a French song at one point and Jacques had his sweaty arms around us. The last night of our honeymoon trip won't exactly stick in our heads, but at least a few dozen people in Montreal won't forget it.
—Vinny, I think

CIN 000 000 000 -0 2 0
BRK 100 022 11x - 7 17 0

Other ball games today:

CARDINALS 8-15-2, at GIANTS 3 10-1
Another reason to get plastered, McGraw finally loses, and pretty badly. Virgil Barnes gives up 15 Redbird hits, two by Hornsby and four by Bottomley as Dickerman cools off the hot Giants to tie the Robins with them again.

SENATORS 9-15-1, at TIGERS 1-4-2
Looks like the American League pennant party is over. It's no contest between Zachary and Whitehill, Cobb makes a horrible two-base error in the top of the 1st and the Nats score five times in the first two innings. If they sweep them tomorrow their magical number is down to three.

YANKEES 7-11-3, at WHITE SOX 5-11-1 (14 innings)
Already eliminated with the Washington win, the Yanks pull out a titanic fight in extra innings when Wally Pipp homers off Doug McWeeny for the winners. New York do have a 5-1 lead at one point but skunk that away and Chicago ties it in the last of the 9th on a two-out Aaron Ward error at second.

RED SOX 7-14-3, at BROWNS 1-9-1
Ehmke pulls a Hal Carlson Houdini act for nine innings. The Browns put 15 base runners on but only once are two of them strung together, which will mess you up every tme.

at INDIANS 8-12-0, ATHLETICS 4-10-1
Another example of baseball playing with your mind. Luther Roy and his over-9 earned run average throws a complete game against Ed Rommel. Myatt breaks tie in the 6th with a huge triple.

NATIONAL LEAGUE through Sunday, September 14
Pittsburgh Pirates	88	53	.624	—
New York Giants	82	60	.577	6.5
Brooklyn Robins	82	60	.577	6.5
Cincinnati Reds	79	63	.556	9.5
Chicago Cubs	73	68	.518	15
St. Louis Cardinals	68	74	.479	20.5
Philadelphia Phillies	55	86	.390	33
Boston Braves	39	102	.277	49
AMERICAN LEAGUE through Sunday, September 14
Washington Senators	86	54	.614	—
Detroit Tigers	78	64	.549	9
Chicago White Sox	73	68	.518	13.5
New York Yankees	71	69	.507	15
Boston Red Sox	68	73	.482	18.5
St. Louis Browns	66	76	.465	21
Cleveland Indians	63	80	.441	24.5
Philadelphia Athletics	60	81	.426	26.5