A RECURRING SICKNESS

May 5, 1924

After getting home very late last night during a rainstorm, I woke up in the morning with a scary fever and had to stay in bed. Mama took lots of pity on me and mixed me up some mustard plaster to lay on my chest. I hate that stuff, but when you're sick it's always better to let your mother do what she needs to.

Mama was proud of me for going on my newspaper research trip to New York, and I had to make up a few things about it. Then she was off to the clothes factory so I put up the window and whistled down to little Stinker Delfi who was always throwing dice with his friends on our stoop. I said the Giants were playing at Baker Bowl in the afternoon and if he'd go back and forth to Mort's for me and keep giving me the score I'd pay him a whole dollar when the game was over. Stinker wasn't too smart but he never could pass up a dollar.

I'm not sure he got all the details right, but it seemed like catching a fever was the best thing that could've happened to me. New York got four runs in the first inning off Glazner, and they were ahead 6-1 by the 5th. George Kelly had even knocked in a few of the runs. We were getting bushels of hits off Mule Watson, but couldn't score enough of them, and I'm sure Benny was cursing again in the bleachers and wondering why I never showed up.

Stinker didn't show up again until 4:30, when he yelled up to the window to say the Giants had scored eight more times. I was so sick by then and angry at my team that I just slammed the window down. Stinker and his goony friends pelted the glass with dice until a part of it cracked and I heard them run away. He'll be too afraid to come back for that dollar, which is okay, because I'd much rather pay him for hearing about a Phillies win. If we ever get another one.

Wish me better health, reader-people!
--Vinny

NYG 400 203 302 - 14 18 2
PHL 010 000 020 - 3 14 1

Other National League games Stinker Delfi was able to tell me about:

at ROBINS 6-14-1, BRAVES 3-8-0
Fournier hit another one, and now has nine for the year! He's a better slugger than Ruth! Rachel must be dancing on the moon.

CUBS 7-14-3, at REDS 6-11-1 (12 innings)
Well, guess what? We're alone in last place now because the Cubs finally won again. Aldridge went the whole way and survived a George Burns 3-run homer for Cincy that bounced off the foul screen.

NATIONAL LEAGUE through Monday, May 5
Brooklyn Robins	13	7	.650	—
Pittsburgh Pirates	11	8	.579	1.5
Cincinnati Reds	11	9	.550	2
New York Giants	11	9	.550	2
St. Louis Cardinals	10	10	.500	3
Boston Braves	8	12	.400	5
Chicago Cubs	8	13	.381	5.5
Philadelphia Phillies	7	13	.350	6