A LETTER FROM CHURCH

April 27, 1924

Dear Rachel,

How are you doing? The Phillies are off today and the Athletics went up to Yankee Stadium, so here I am stuck in church with my mama. Lucky for me she's always so busy praying I'm able to read baseball cards or do things like write letters inside my coat.

I just wanted to say that I had a real good time up in Brooklyn last weekend and liked meeting you an awful lot, so I hope you'll write me a letter back and we can be friends all year. I heard you weren't all that happy with Benny. I understand because he's my best friend and I know he can be a little rough about certain things, but I hope you don't grudge him for it, or grudge me for being friends with him.

Anyway, I just found out that the newspaper job I do with Benny sometimes is talking about adding a whole bunch of more carriers, and they need someone to go up to New York and do research stuff with some of the big papers there so they know how to do that. I volunteered for this research right away, but they want me to come up alone to save them money, and they asked whether I had any friends to stay with to save them even more money. So that's why I'm writing you now.

If you're too busy to spend any time with me I understand, but I hoped you might have a space on your couch for me to sleep on. And guess what? As it turns out, the Phillies will be playing in New York and Brooklyn for eight straight games starting tomorrow, so if I finish my research stuff in the mornings, there's a good chance I'll be able to go watch to them play. Is it possible you have some extra tickets for the Brooklyn games or know where I can get some? You can go with me if you want, but I didn't know how busy you were.

Anyway, I plan to tell Mama about this great opportunity as soon as I can, but in the meantime, write me back as soon as you can or send me a telegram. I didn't know your last name but figured I wrote down your address right.

Best sincerely, your Philadelphia friend,
Vinny

Today's National League games I found out about at Mort's, along with some nifty team statistics:

at ROBINS 8-14-2, GIANTS 4-11-4
The Giants played pretty terrible at Ebbets all week, as Burleigh Grimes beat them this time with the help of Fournier's 5th homer. I'm sure you were there, Rachel, tooting one of those big horns if you had one.

at CUBS 3-9-2, PIRATES 1-8-0
Good news! The Bucs finally lose again in their first game at Wrigley Field this year. Pete Alexander pitches a great one, and Gabby Hartnett wins it with a 2-run homer in the 6th.

at REDS 4-14-0, CARDINALS 3-11-3 (10 innings)
A real tough loss for the Cards. They're up 3-1 but the pesky Reds score one in the 8th, one in the 9th and the winner in the 10th when Stuart walks two guys with two outs and Hornsby and Blades make back-to-back errors.

TEAM BATTING AVERAGE
.340 Brooklyn
.322 Cincinnati
.308 Chicago
.303 St. Louis
.283 Philadelphia
.273 Pittsburgh
.269 Boston
.249 New York

TEAM EARNED RUN AVERAGE
2.86 Pittsburgh
3.04 Brooklyn
3.73 Cincinnati
5.11 Philadelphia
5.26 St. Louis
5.38 Chicago
5.54 Boston
5.56 New York

(How about that? The Giants are last in both departments, one of the reasons I decided to try to get up to the Polo Grounds. We have a chance against them!)

NATIONAL LEAGUE through Sunday, April 27
Pittsburgh Pirates	8	4	.667	—
Brooklyn Robins	7	5	.583	1
Cincinnati Reds	6	6	.500	2
New York Giants	6	6	.500	2
Boston Braves	6	6	.500	2
St. Louis Cardinals	6	7	.462	2.5
Philadelphia Phillies	5	7	.364	3
Chicago Cubs	5	8	.385	3.5