TIME TO PACK UP

May 8, 1924

Baker Bowl was packed solid thanks to this being the Phillies' last home game until almost the end of the month, but somebody else was in Benny's bleacher seat. My friend was off looking for a car all day, while I sat there wondering why Mama was so nice to me about this crazy trip I was about to take.

This time I decided to just tell the truth instead of making up a fake story, and it completely worked. Mama was real happy that Benny's uncle left him a bunch of money and said I should stick around with him even more because people with money got more opportunities and I had a better chance of catching one for myself on the rebound. I asked her about my school work and said she never took too much stock in that in comparison to getting a job, and she'd make something up to tell Mr. Tuggerheinz. See, she never got a chance to travel anywhere herself, and said as long as I sent her some letters from out west a few times, she'd know I was safe and could maybe even enjoy the trip through my eyes. I guess I am to her kind of how the Phillies are to me, and she's a bigger fan of me than I thought she was.

Anyway, Benny missed a good game, even though we lost. His best friend Irish Meusel knocked in four of the five Giant runs with two singles and a homer in the 5th that made it 4-0. But Johnny Mokan homered twice for us, making it an all-leftfielder show, and it was 5-3 in the 9th and we had two people on the bases and George Harper pinch-hit for Schultz to try and hit one out off reliever Jonnard.

Nope, he lined out instead, and with the Cubs winning today we're back in last place as we hit the road.

After I got home I was eating dinner with Mama and we heard a loud toot-toot on the street outside. We went to the window and there was Benny, standing next to the most shiny blue auto I've ever seen. He went for the best and gambled with his money on a brand new car called a Model Six, just made by a guy named Walter Chrysler. It was supposed to be lighter than a Buick auto that was similar to it, and Benny's could go from five to fifty miles an hour in an amazing 13 seconds. Benny rode me around the neighborhood all the time with lots of kids jumping on the bumpers for free rides, and I couldn't believe how comfortable it was.

It was real hard getting to sleep later. Mama had my bag all packed up, but all I could think about was the places we'd be going. The Phillies play four games each in Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Chicago and St. Louis, then three more in Boston. Phew! If we can figure out how to read all the crazy maps Benny's bringing, we might even have time to enjoy this adventure. Good night and see you tomorrow on some highway, reader-people!
—Vinny

NYG 002 020 100 - 5 11 1
PHL 000 020 001 - 3 11 0

Other National League games today,
followed by interesting statistic numbers as the four eastern teams hit the road:

CUBS 3-7-0, at PIRATES 2-10-0
The Bucs miss a good chance to get closer to Brooklyn, as Meadows loses to Jacobs and the Cubbies break a 2-2 tie in the 7th on a homer from Charlie Hollocher.

REDS 17-18-2, at CARDINALS 2-9-4
Oh boy, now we get to play these Reds, who just spank St. Louis here like they're five-year-olds. Winning 4-2 in the 6th, they score ten runs off Dickerson and Bell, with Cliff Lee creaming a grand slam in the middle of it. And this is with three of their regular players injured.

TEAM BATTING
.322 Brooklyn
.313 Cincinnati
.306 St. Louis
.285 Philadelphia
.284 Pittsburgh
.276 Chicago
.275 New York
.253 Boston

TEAM HOME RUNS
20 Brooklyn
19 Philadelphia
17 Chicago
12 St. Louis
9 Cincinnati
8 New York
7 Pittsburgh
6 Boston

TEAM TRIPLES
21 New York
19 Cincinnati
17 Pittsburgh
16 Chicago
15 St. Louis
10 Philadelphia
9 Brooklyn
9 Boston

TEAM EARNED RUN AVERAGE
2.87 Brooklyn
3.30 Cincinnati
3.64 Pittsburgh
4.70 New York
5.22 Philadelphia
5.23 Chicago
5.32 Boston
6.00 St. Louis

NATIONAL LEAGUE through Thursday, May 8
Brooklyn Robins	15	7	.682	—
Pittsburgh Pirates	13	9	.591	2
Cincinnati Reds	13	10	.565	2.5
New York Giants	13	10	.565	2.5
St. Louis Cardinals	11	12	.478	4.5
Chicago Cubs	9	15	.375	7
Boston Braves	8	14	.364	7
Philadelphia Phillies	8	15	.348	7.5