THE EARL OF WHITEHILL TAMES THE ELEPHANTS

FOUR-HIT MASTERPIECE BY DETROIT SLAB ARTIST AWES A'S

By Calvin J. Butterworth
Detroit Free-Enterprise

June 7, 1924

Navin Field was riddled with ragamuffins today as the Tigers offered free seats for local children, and what better way to teach a pint-sizer about base ball mastery than to have the home hurler mesmerize the opposition?

Earl Whitehill was a portsiding genius from start to finish. He found himself in minor difficulty in the 1st on two-out singles by Miller and Dykes, but Al "Bucketfoot" Simmons grounded to Rigney and no one scored. A Dykes error and singles by Cobb and Bassler gave us a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 1st, and then the Earl set up his canvas. After Bill Lamar doubled with two out in the 3rd, he retired the next 17 batters he faced, and against a team that has been racking up runs and hits like squirrels gathering autumn nuts.

On the other side, Philadelphia starter Dennis Burns had nothing compelling on his ball, and the Tigers whacked it hither and yon in the 4th with two singles, two walks, and a Cobb double for three runs. Two more doubles and Cobb's third hit in the 6th make it 6-1 before Bob Hasty was touched for a tally in the 8th.

There wasn't much else to report, as the game lacked the drama of other contests around the circuit today, but the Tiger Tots in attendance certainly seemed to enjoy themselves throughout, banging the seats and whooping with every home hit. Heilman returns from his slight injury tomorrow to face tough lefty Baumgartner, while Syl Johnson gets his second start for the Tigers since replacing Stoner at the front line.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Our esteemed woman-writer of the society page, Elizabeth Dashwood Weevilhurst, erred in her recent account of another Whitehill masterpiece by using the wrong name of Earl's wife. Violet Geissinger is the lovely actual woman he betrothed, and one may find her on the packages of Sun-Maid raisin boxes to this day.

PHA 000 000 001 - 1 3 2
DET 100 302 01x - 7 11 1


Other American League games today:

at INDIANS 4-7-0, SENATORS 1-8-1
Catcher Glenn Myatt fires a 3-run cannonball of a home run off Curly Ogden in the 1st inning and the first-place Nats never recover, unable to assemble anything bat-wise with Joe Shaute until Taylor triples in an 8th inning run with the game all but over. The Big Train will throw tomorrow against the fading Coveleski, so one can expect a quick rebound.

RED SOX 8-14-0, at WHITE SOX 4-9-1
The Bostons give Jack Quinn a 5-0 lead right away, beating up Sloppy Thurston with a walk, two singles and three doubles. Down 7-0, Chicago makes noise in their 6th with a Mostil homer, Elsh double and Sheely triple, but it's only a light sprinkle on a sweltering day, and the Pale Hose are suddenly looking mortal.

YANKEES 5-12-0, at BROWNS 4-8-0
With a chance to gain more ground on the leading men, the Yanks find their ace Pennock trailing Danforth 4-1 going to the 8th and all looks grim. But Ruth singles with one out, Pipp gets him to third with another single, and Ward hits a run-scoring fly to make it 4-2. Pennock gets out of a rough rally in the 8th, and it seems to inspire the New Yorkers. After Schang walks to start the 9th, Shags Horan pinch-hits a sizzling double. Combs then doubles into the gap to tie the game, Meusel singles him to third with two out, and the Bambino knocks another single for the go-ahead run. Gaston gives up a two-out double to Jacobson in the last of the 9th, but Beall comes on to retire McManus on a grounder, and the race has tightened for the second straight day.

AMERICAN LEAGUE through Saturday, June 7
Washington Senators	35	19	.648	—
Chicago White Sox	33	18	.647	0.5
New York Yankees	26	25	.510	7.5
Detroit Tigers	26	26	.500	8
Philadelphia Athletics	24	29	.453	10.5
St. Louis Browns	22	29	.431	11.5
Boston Red Sox	21	29	.420	12
Cleveland Indians	20	32	.385	14

WHAT A ROUSH!

RECENTLY, IN THE NATIONAL LEAGUE: Pirates ambush Robins for second day in a row...Phils surprise Redbirds in 10-8 thriller... It was far too easy for Vinny to get out of school...

June 7, 1924

Mama popped a humdinger on me at breakfast: we were going to the New Jersey shoreline tomorrow with Aunt Maria and her two bratty kids. It was okay because the Phillies weren't playing Sunday for church reasons, but I'd be danged if I was going to spend the whole day taking the train back and forth to the ocean with that annoying duo Mikey and Enzo. I begged and pleaded and begged some more to let Benny come along and she finally gave in, though she made it clear she didn't want us running off to the boardwalk and sticking them with the boys.

Anyway, Cincy was in town and they smoked us pretty good out west after we beat them in the first game, so like I figured there was a pretty big crowd at Baker by the time we got there, everyone looking for revenge. I suppose when you lose as much as we do there should be big revenge turnouts all the time, but weekend games always draw more. Also Eppa Rixey was pitching, and the last time we faced him we stayed in a coma for two hours.

This time it was different right off the bat. Mokan singled in a 1st inning run, and after the Reds scored a cheap one in the 3rd on a force play, Mokan did it again with a 2-out single to drive in Sand and put us back in front. Holke knocked one in with a deep fly in the 7th and Sand was gunned down at home plate on a Cy WIlliams single, but things looked good, and Jimmy Ring was on his way to a glorious 2-8 record.

No sooner had I thought that, though, then Ring gave up three Red singles to make it 3-2 and get us nervous. It was raging hot again, and Benny yanked off his shirt and twirled it in the air as the game went to the 9th inning with Huck Betts now pitching to try and save it. Curt Walker led with a single but Ike Cavaney bounced into a Sand-started double play! Someone complained to a cop right then about Benny's bare top, and they made him put the shirt back on but he even didn't care because we were just an out away.

Which is when Rube Bressler, the toughest out in their lineup so far, cracked a ball over Cy's head and it bounced around out by the deepest fence, and by the time the ball got back in Rube was standing on third. Okay, okay, just one more to go, just one more.

Except none other than Edd Roush, probably the most famous Red player ever, was walking up. "Tell me what he does," said Benny, pulling the top half of his shirt over his face. I said I would, but when Roush slammed the second Betts pitch on a deep line to right, the words stuck in my throat. Benny didn't need them, because he heard the cheering turn into quiet all around us. The Mighty Roush had hit it out. Pedro Dibut snuffed us easy in the last of the 9th and we'd lost our 30th game of the year in real nightmare fashion. Benny just sat on our bleacher bench while everyone else left, and it took two trash-pickers poking him with their pickers to get him to finally move.

A day at the shoreline sure seemed like a good idea about then.

Good night, reader-people!
—Vinny

CIN 001 000 012 - 4 14 1
PHL 101 000 100 - 3 10 0

Other National League games today:

PIRATES 2-7-1, at ROBINS 1-5-1
Big old yawn, is what I say. Johnny Morrison, the luckiest 6-1 pitcher around, squirms out of every pickle while the Bucs make the most out of their big hits. Carey starts the game with a triple and ends up scoring, and after Brooklyn ties the game finally in the 7th, Moore starts the 8th with a triple and scores on a boot by Andy High. Don't look now (well, you can if you want to), but the Robins are a half game from dropping into 6th place.

CUBS 7-13-1, at GIANTS 5-11-0
Another disgusting Giants loss, and it couldn't happen to a crummier bunch of guys. Today Art Nehf has a 5-0 lead going to the 6th and can't hold it. Friberg ties the game 5-5 with a homer in the 7th, and three singles and a bunt off Jonnard in the 9th win it. Public Polo Grounds enemy number one is George Kelly again. The lug walks his first time up, then whiffs three times and pops out the rest of the game. He has certainly been the Boob Ruth of the National League.

CARDINALS 10-16-0, at BRAVES 3-13-3
Two doubles and a homer by Ray Blades figure big in the daily decimation of the Braves. At this rate Boston will finish the season with a record of 37-117.

NATIONAL LEAGUE through Saturday, June 7
Pittsburgh Pirates	32	16	.667	—
Cincinnati Reds	32	20	.615	2
New York Giants	28	21	.571	4.5
St. Louis Cardinals	29	24	.547	5.5
Brooklyn Robins	23	25	.479	9
Chicago Cubs	24	27	.471	9.5
Philadelphia Phillies	21	30	.412	12.5
Boston Braves	12	38	.240	21

TIT FOR TAT, AND THAT'S THAT

ELEVEN RUNS CROSS DISH IN EXTRAORDINARY 8TH INNING AS TIGERS EDGE NATS, SPLIT SERIES

By Calvin J. Butterworth
Detroit Free-Enterprise

June 6, 1924

With Frank O'Rourke spending the game polishing his manager's automobile, the Tigers knew they had a fair shot to filibuster the Senators in today's finale. Harry Heilman would be out with a small injury, but Joe Judge was still serving ailment time on the Washington bench, and the one-sided pitching matchup featured Firpo Marberry against Rip Collins.

Yet things rarely come easy for the Detroit nine, and the first seven innings were a tight pitching affair, with the Tigers banging out four doubles for three runs and the Nats a Richbourg single and Sam Rice triple for two. Fans were settlng in for a mildly tense final two innings, the peanut throwers in the stands were down to their last dozen bags, and the late afternoon sun had tilted westward when Doc Prothro stepped to the plate with one out in the top of the 8th.

Collins got behind and walked him. The superlative Goslin then roped a gapper to left center which rolled for a triple to tie the game 3-3. Rice followed with a single, and Cobb hailed Dauss to the rescue—nearly always a foolhardy decision. Hooks proved his worthlessness right away as Tate doubled Rice to third. Peckinpaugh hit a sacrifice pop to put Washington ahead, and then Shirley singled for another score. Then Nats reliever Joe Martina, a homely fellow who seldom pitches but had taken over for Marberry after the 6th, doubled Shirley to third. That was it for Dauss and Lil' Stoner came in for his lumps. Richbourg got him first, lacing a 2-run triple to shockingly give the injury-riddled Senators an 8-3 lead. Navin denizens howled, stomped on their boaters and generally unleashed vocal bullets at every Tiger afield.

Manush flew out against Martina to begin the Detroit 8th, and then the heavenly forces of base ball finally intervened. Bassler singled. Al Wingo walked. Les Burke, our replacement for the auto-polisher, also singled to fill the sacks. Bucky Harris, the Washington player-manager who had been removed earlier after being plunked, strode to the hill and summoned Alan Russell, their only dependable relief man.

Today he was a wayward child. Bob Jones and Del Pratt singled. Blue knocked in a third run with a force-out, and Topper Rigney doubled home two more to ignite the gathering and re-tie the game at 8-8! Meanwhile, the Senators had yanked out Goslin, Prothro and Tate for lighter-hitting defensive men, a decision Harris would regret. With Herm Pillette back on the slab for another try, Nemo Leibold scratched a single to begin the 9th. He went to second on a wide pitch, but then Earl McNeely lined into a sudden double play to kill the budding rally.

Manush singled to start the Tiger 9th, and after two were out, Russell muffed a grounder hit right back to him, Bob Jones ripped a single past a diving Tommy Taylor at second and the game was over! By far the most exciting win of the year for us, it was also the most devastating for Washington. The Nats head down to League Park to try and lick their wounds and get healthy again, while the Tigers welcome in the recently torrid but currently flaccid Athletics.

WAS 001 100 060 - 8 13 2
DET 010 110 051 - 9 14 1


Other American League games today:

YANKEES 17-17-0, at WHITE SOX 4-9-3
A distinguished reader named Kevin G. has threatened to quit following this 1924 campaign altogether if his beloved Gothamites do not begin winning. Well Mr. G., your prayers have been answered for a day, as the long Bronxian nightmare finally ends at seven losses. Sad Sam Jones scatters nine Chicago hits while his bat-mates lay waste to Comiskey with a 4-homer attack. Wally Pipp gets it going with a blow off Robertson in the 2nd, and Ernie Johnson clubs a 3-runner the same inning to put the Yanks up 5-0. Before long it is 8-1, then 8-4 after a patented slapdash attack from Mostil, Falk, Hooper and Sheely. But this is the New Yorkers' day. Sad Sam Jones hits a solo shot, the Bambino barely misses one in the 4th then returns with two aboard against lefty Cvengros in the 7th. This time he propels the sphere just over the fence in right, his 15th of the year to tie Fournier. Ruth doubles home two more in the 9th to complete the onslaught, though having just four of these runs in the previous two games would have helped them immensely.

at INDIANS 7-11-0, ATHLETICS 1-4-0
Sherry Smith goes out with an injury after hurling just two innings, but Dewey Metivier and James Edwards come to the resuce with seven phenomenal innings of work. Brower swats a homer for the second straight day, this time a pinch 3-run rocket off Rommel, and the Mackman have seemingly slumped again as they head into Navin Field.

RED SOX 10-17-2, at BROWNS 8-11-2 (11 innings)
Urban Shocker is reduced to pulp by the Boston bats, as they battle back from 6-4 and 8-6 deficits to win in extra frames on hits from Picinich and Wambsganss. These two clubs have been spinning their wheels for weeks and never seem to have any batting or pitching consistency to brag of, but their contests are rarely dull.

AMERICAN LEAGUE through Friday, June 6
Washington Senators	35	18	.660	—
Chicago White Sox	33	17	.660	0.5
New York Yankees	25	25	.500	8.5
Detroit Tigers	25	26	.490	9
Philadelphia Athletics	24	28	.462	10.5
St. Louis Browns	22	28	.440	11.5
Boston Red Sox	20	29	.408	13
Cleveland Indians	19	32	.373	15

IN A WORD: THRILLER

RECENTLY, IN THE NATIONAL LEAGUE: Cards take third straight at Baker Bowl, going for sweep...Benny bumps into Principal Tuggerheinz at the game with his young girlfriend...Nothing else matters...

June 6, 1924

Like I thought, school was strange today, but for other reasons. Mrs. Crackerbee handed out our history test scores and when I saw my A- I couldn't believe it and neither could she. Neither could Billie Jean Smucker, the brainiest girl in class who moved up here from Kentucky back in the fall. She must have seen me getting some of the answers from Joek Kopf and said something to the teacher because that's what snitches do. If I was a hoodlum I would've said the girl is mine and pushed her around after class but I didn't wanna be starting something. Not today.

Mr. Tuggerheinz was in the lunch room this time, and he looked over at me and smiled twice, which was twice more than he ever had before, and I knew why. When I began to make my way over to my usual escape window he nodded and I felt all guilty so I went over and said I had to leave for a dentist appointment and he just leaned over and said "Beat it...Just beat it." So I used the door instead.

There's no better medicine for feeling scared or nervous or sad than taking in an exciting ball game, and we sure had a thriller today. Sothoron was throwing for St. Louis against Oescheger and the toasty wind was blowing out for the fourth straight day so it was clear anything could happen.

Holke doubled, Cy singled and Wrightstone tripled to get us going with two runs, but then the Cards got a Clemons double, Max Flack walk and 2-run triple by the hot Cooney to tie it up. Taylor Douthit sent a long fly to Mokan with one out and we had a great spot in the bleachers to watch his throw, which was a cannon shot that hit Butch Henline on one bounce and got Cooney out in a big dust cloud.

The play seemed to jazz us again, because we whacked four hits for two runs in the 3rd, then Heinie Sand bonked a 2-run poke off the pole to our left and we were up 6-2! But don't forget what I said about the hot wind and Joe Oescheger. The Cards' 5th inning was like sitting in a wobbly canoe and getting run over by an ocean liner. A walk, single and Hornsby double started things, then Bottomley hit his expected double, then a walk to Clemons sent Oeschie packing and brought in Steineder, a reliever Fletcher is using because Glazner stinks and Couch had to become a starter. Max Flack tripled on the first pitch from him and soon it was 8-6 them.

No big deal, because Sothoron had nothing either. Four singles gave us two runs and a tie game right away. Ray Blades tripled to start the St. Louis 6th, but then the strangest thing happened: Steineder turned into a pitcher. He got Hornsby to ground into a force at home plate, then allowed just three singles and no runs the rest of the game. Wrightstone began our 7th with a vicious line homer to right, and adding to his single, double and triple before he had gone through a cycle of all the possible hits!

So we kept the scary Cards from sweeping us and are 4-4 with them as the super pesky Reds come to town after wiping out the Braves in a whole series for the second time. I feel another bout of eppa rixey coming on. Good night, reader-people!
—Vinny

STL 020 060 000 - 8 13 0
PHL 202 220 11x - 10 13 0

Other National League game today:

CUBS 5-9-0, at GIANTS 4-9-1
Well, the big Giant revival sure didn't last long. McQuillan pitches awful, especially with Hartnett and Hack Miller both out of Cub lineup. George Kelly actually does something, tieing up the game in the 4th with a 2-run homer, but the rest of the lineup turns into the Yankees and can't get another big hit if their lives depend on it.

PIRATES 5-9-1, at BROOKLYN 2-7-2
It's 2-0 Robins behind Burleigh Grimes and Fournier's 15th homer when the 6th inning rolls around and the Bucs get bored. Grimm singles, Moore walks, Cuyler singles, Pie Traynor homers and that's the game. Brooklyn drops under .500 for the first time and something tells me Rachel needs the biggest hug she's ever had about now.

REDS 13-14-1, at BRAVES 1-6-3
I heard there were about 400 fans for yesterday's game at Braves Field. The next one might have twelve. The great Carl Mays actually falls behind 1-0 on a Tierney single in the 2nd, then pitches a 2-single shutout the rest of the way while Cincy scores a dozen runs in the last four innings and stays two games behind Pittsburgh.

NATIONAL LEAGUE through Friday, June 6
Pittsburgh Pirates	31	16	.660	—
Cincinnati Reds	31	20	.608	2
New York Giants	28	20	.583	3.5
St. Louis Cardinals	28	24	.538	5.5
Brooklyn Robins	23	24	.489	8
Chicago Cubs	23	27	.460	9.5
Philadelphia Phillies	21	29	.420	11.5
Boston Braves	12	37	.245	20

O'ROURKE, OH MY!!

KEY FLUB BY SECOND SACKER LEADS TO DEMORALIZING NAVIN LOSS

By Calvin J. Butterworth
Detroit Free-Enterprise

June 5, 1924

Like a happy hummingbird visiting flowers on the edge of a volcano, one never knows when the earth will swallow you up. Such was the case at Navin Field today after the Tigers took a seemingly safe 6-2 lead on the first-place Senators into the 8th inning.

Mogridge and Holloway were the opening slabmen, and for a time it appeared that the two quick runs Washington plated off the bat might be enough. Singles by Lance Richbourg, Prothro and Goslin preceded a mighty Sam Rice double that scored one but saw Goslin nailed by a Cobb throw in an attempt at 3-0. Mogridge threw adequately for four innings, then gave it up quick in the 5th on a lead triple by Pratt, unforgivable two-out walk to Holloway, a triple by Rigney and single from Cobb.

In the 7th, Mogridge was even worse. With two outs and no Tiger aboard, he muffed a grounder from Rigney, gave Cobb another single before Fred Haney tripled into the Navin nether-regions to make it 5-2. With the home crowd in a frenzy, Russell relieved and Woodal greeted him with a one-sack blow and the lead was four runs!

Then came the tragic 8th. Rice and Tate touched Holloway for singles, tiring him and bringing on Herm Pillette. Now Herm is seldom-used but tends to do well with the starboarders, and the Nats have a southpaw-murdering lineup. True to form, Pillette retired Peckinpaugh and Mule Shirley on weak flies, and then pitcher Russell batted. He dribbled one out in Frank O'Rourke's direction, just to the right of the second base bag, but Frank's feet knotted up beneath him, his mouth turned dry and his glove turned to iron and the ball fled his lunging grasp to load the bases.

One does not need to be a Holmes or Watson to deduce what occurred next. Richbourg instantly singled, as did Harris to make it 6-5. With Goslin looming on deck, Herm merely had to retire the righty Prothro to retain the lead but O'Rourke's fielding folly had evidently distracted him to the edge of his own scaffold, and Prothro rifled the first pitch between Cobb and Fatty Fothergill, rolled the ball to the fence and scored the two runs that put Washington in front for the duration. Bert Cole finally took the hill to put away Goslin, but the butchered bodies were already lying in the meadow.

How does one recover from such a defeat? Well, in base ball there is always another day—and players are not really hummingbirds. Though I would suspect Mr. O'Rourke will spend tomorrow afternoon scrubbing locker room toilets for his manager.

WAS 200 000 050 - 7 15 2
DET 000 030 300 - 6 12 1

Other American League games today:

at WHITE SOX 4-11-1, YANKEES 3-12-1
For the New Yorkers, though, tomorrow always brings a fresh disaster. They lose by the same nip-and-tuck score as yesterday, but in an even more preposterous fashion. Sarge Connally inexplicably outpitches Waite Hoyt, Chicago gets a huge two-out hit every time they need one, while the Lost Yankee Orphans leaves 16 runners on base. That is not an easy thing to do. Ruth's single helps them take a 1-0 lead in the 1st, but in the 4th with two outs and two aboard he grounds into a force play. In the 7th with two outs and a man aboard he flies out. And in the 8th, trailing by 4-2 with two outs and a man aboard...he whiffs. To complete the torture, the Yanks load the bases with two outs in the 9th, only to have Whitey Witt dribble to the pitcher. It is the seventh straight loss for the Gothams, as they have not won since Joe Bush mowed down the Tigers over a week ago, and I truly pity the fans and scribes who follow this depressing unit. For what it is worth, Ruth has not been the only powerless culprit. "Slugger" Meusel has gone 11-for-55 in their last 13 games with just four runs knocked in.

at BROWNS 7-11-0, RED SOX 5-14-0
Ken Williams bombs a homer for Dixie Davis and the Browns storm back after Boston takes a 5-1 lead for Ferguson in the 5th on a deafening Bobby Veach homer. The lucky Red Sox next travel to Comiskey Park.

at INDIANS 2-8-1, ATHLETICS 1-9-0
As shocking as Chicago's performance is this supreme pitcher's battle at League Park, a place where 30 hits per game is standard practice. Gray and Uhle duel off until the last of the 9th, when Frank Brower sends one over the wall for only the Tribe's second one-run victory in 17 attempts.

AMERICAN LEAGUE through Thursday, June 5
Washington Senators	35	17	.673	—
Chicago White Sox	33	16	.673	0.5
New York Yankees	24	25	.490	9.5
Detroit Tigers	24	26	.480	10
Philadelphia Athletics	24	27	.471	10.5
St. Louis Browns	22	27	.449	11.5
Boston Red Sox	19	29	.396	14
Cleveland Indians	18	32	.360	16

AWKWARD MOMENTS ON A BROILING DAY

RECENTLY, IN THE NATIONAL LEAGUE: Bottomley knocks in
five as Cards manhandle Phils again...Benny swoons for Miss Philadelphia...Benny lands date with Miss Philadelphia...Benny scares off Miss Philadelphia...Vinny goes back to school for final two weeks,
sort of...

June 5, 1924

Today was the easiest time I ever had sneaking out of the lunch room, because Principal Tuggerheinz was out sick and Mrs. Crackerbee was too busy making sure the kids were cleaning up their tables. It was about 95 degrees by the time I passed Hecky's Newsstand on the way to the streetcar, and I knew I'd have to talk Benny out of sitting in the bleachers again.

Lucky for us he listened, because this game was almost two hours long and you can only drink so much lemonade, as we found out in St. Louis on our recent road trip. Rhem and Carlson were matched up in a good one so no one was scoring much, but there were runners on base all the time and with the scorchy weather pitchers were being real careful not to throw home run balls.

Cy Williams got us going with a triple that banged off the right field wall and bounced past Jack Smith in right, scoring Harper. It stayed 1-0 until the 4th, when Blades singled, Hornsby walked and who else but Bottomley singled in the tieing run.

Rhem dished out three walks in our 7th, and with two outs Holke whistled a single into right to put us up 3-1. I jumped and cheered and ran off to find us two more lemonades. The lemonade guy ran out of them right as I reached him in one of the big aisles, though. He said he'd be right back with more so I stood there in the grandstand shade and fanned myself with a program.

It was then that I turned and saw Principal Tuggerheinz standing in front of me!! I was in shock and wanted to run for cover, but the weird thing was that his face was redder than mine. And then I saw why. A dolled-up young lady who was not much older than Brooklyn Rachel had her hand through his arm. Now I know for a fact that Tuggerheinz has been married for over 20 years and his wife helps out at school functions all the time, and here he was looking pretty darn embarrassed with this floozy.

I said hello and started to walk past but he pulled me aside and whispered, "We will keep our secrets, young Spanelli. Correct?" I nodded and started back to my seat with my heart pounding. Benny was mad that the lemonades were "sold out" and then double mad because the Cards had just tied the game with four straight singles off Carlson and reliever Betts.

I had promised Mr. Tuggerheinz I wouldn't tell a soul about his mistress, but I've known Benny longer than him, so that plan didn't last long. Benny was thrilled about it and said I wouldn't have a problem leaving school early the rest of the year.

So I put my brain back on the game, which happened to be a great one that was going into extra innings with Stuart and Betts on the hill. Hornsby had his usual two hits but completely stunk in the field, booting two balls and not turning double plays a few times. I guess when you're hitting about .460 you can do those things, but when he started the St. Louis 10th with a weak ground out, we all got a shot of hope.

The problem was that Jim Bottomley was stepping up, already with two singles. Right away he creamed a Betts fastball high and deep to center. Cy ran up on the little hill over the underground train tracks but the ball was well over his head and over the center field wall! "Sunny Jim" had clouded up our day again, and after Fowler got us out in the last of the 10th with the help of a big Cy double play grounder to Toporcer, we'd lost the first three to the Cards.

Anyway, it'll be tough to keep my mouth shut about Mr. Tuggerheinz in school tomorrow, but if I can I'm pretty sure I'll have a straight-A report card coming. Good night, reader-people!
—Vinny

STL 000 100 020 1 - 4 11 3
PHL 100 000 200 0 - 3 7 0

Other National League game today:

PIRATES 10-19-2, at ROBINS 7-10-0
Well, so much for Dazzy Vance taking care of the Pirates. He got roughed up out in Pittsburgh and this time the Robins give him a 3-0 lead in the 2nd, knocking out tough Bucs catcher Earl Smith in the process. What does Dazzy do? He gets dizzy, giving up 13 hits and eight runs in the next three and a third innings, as the Pittsburgh lineup absolutely destroys the most unhittable pitcher in either league. Fill-in catcher Schmidt even knocks in the winning run! Fournier charms a few of the home fans with his 13th and 14th homers late in the game off Kremer, but the slaughter is over already.

CUBS 14-16-0, at GIANTS 1-7-3
Not as shocking a result, and like the Brooklyn game it's a happy one for Pirate fans. Pete Alexander puts the lead man on base in seven of the nine innings but gets out of every single bind, while his hitters are busy murdering four Giant pitchers. It must be National Backup Catcher Day, because after Hartnett goes out with an injury, Bob O'Farrell replaces him and bashes a 3-run homer in the 3rd to launch the big attack.

REDS 3-10-2, at BRAVES 2-7-1
The only "normal" game all day, as the Cuban team of Luque and Dibut shut down the feeble Braves and the Reds climb back into second place. Down 2-1 in the 6th to Cooney, Edd Roush ties the game with a triple and Bubbles Hargrave wins it with a deep fly.

NATIONAL LEAGUE through Thursday, June 5
Pittsburgh Pirates	30	16	.652	—
Cincinnati Reds	30	20	.600	2
New York Giants	28	19	.596	2.5
St. Louis Cardinals	28	23	.549	4.5
Brooklyn Robins	23	23	.500	7
Chicago Cubs	22	27	.449	9.5
Philadelphia Phillies	20	29	.408	11.5
Boston Braves	12	36	.250	19

TIGERS RE-BOARD MYSTERY TRAIN

NAT ACE DROPS HIS SECOND STRAIGHT SQUEAKER TO US ON COBB SINGLE

By Calvin J. Butterworth
Detroit Free-Enterprise

June 4, 1924

The esteemed Walter Johnson took his 8-2 mark into Navin Field today, and most were confident he would further Washington's winning ways with ease, but the pesky Bengals had a different plan. Two of the Big Train's three losses have now come against Detroit, and the base ball world is all a-twitter about it.

The Nats were offensively handicapped with Judge and Ruel still out, but they fare well against southpaws, and Ed Wells' last outing was a thing of ugliness. Sure enough, after run-scoring singles from Bassler and Cobb gave the Tigers a 3-0 lead, Doc Prothro tripled to open the 3rd. A flurry of walks and singles followed, a standard run-scorer by Goslin among them, and the game was knotted up.

What's worse, Heilman was removed from the game after being plunked on the hand back in the 1st, so things looked grim for the hometowners. But after a Wells single and Manush double in the 4th, Peckinpaugh muffed a Cobb grounder and Detroit was back in front. But this didn't last, either. Singles by reserve Nats Mule Shirley and Tommy Taylor, a Prothro double and singles from Rice and Goslin gave Washington a 6-4 cushion in the 6th.

But Johnson's sweeping arm was a half speed off today, for he was inviting runners onto the sacks at an appalling rate. Les Burke singled off him to begin the Tiger 6th, was bunted to second by Wells, and scored on a Lu Blue double to close the score to 6-5. Two walks and two bloop singles the next inning then re-tied the game, and both starters fought their way out of subsequent pickles until Burke got his third straight single to open the bottom of the 9th. The Train retired the next two men but then Manush lined his fourth hit, a single between McNeely and RIce, to send Burke to third.

Up stepped Cobb, hands grinding into his bat handle, spikes gouging the batter box earth. Johnson peered into Bennie Tate, got the sign and twirled. Cobb swung fiercely, stroked the sphere over the head of Harris and Burke skipped home with the winner.

"I blame no one but myself," Johnson said after, "For some reason the Tiger lineup pecks me like no other." Gentleman to the end, the Train will have to wait a while to avenge this one in his notoriously silent and deadly fashion.

WAS 003 003 000 - 6 16 1
DET 210 101 101 - 7 14 0

Other American League games today:

at WHITE SOX 4-8-1, YANKEES 3-8-1
Not even Bullet Joe Bush can save the New Yorkers from another devastating loss, their sixth in succession. Ruth is moved to the leadoff spot to secure him as many at-bats as possible, and all he gets is buzzard's luck, missing a homer when the ball hits the very top of the Comiskey fence. Faber and Bush pitch equally well into the 9th but 15 of the final 16 Yankees go down meekly as they wait around for the inevitable cheap Chicago winning rally: three walks and a Bibb Falk single.

at BROWNS 8-15-1, RED SOX 3-7-2
After painting the walls Brown the day before, Boston plays a pitiful game with their best pitcher Ehmke on the hill. Veach and Harris errors in the 6th lead to the three runs that tilt the game for good.

ATHLETICS 16-19-2, at INDIANS 2-6-2
Coveleski is the latest hurler to be lambasted by the rampaging A's, who believe it or not are now a scant one game out of third place. Two six-run innings are on their dance card today against Stan Coveleski and his useless follow-ups Metivier and Yowell. Poor League Park has become little more than a visitor's shooting range.

AMERICAN LEAGUE through Wednesday, June 4
Washington Senators	34	17	.667	—
Chicago White Sox	32	16	.667	0.5
New York Yankees	24	24	.500	8.5
Detroit Tigers	24	25	.490	9
Philadelphia Athletics	24	26	.480	9.5
St. Louis Browns	21	27	.438	11.5
Boston Red Sox	19	28	.404	13
Cleveland Indians	17	32	.347	16

EVERY BURNT FOREST LEAVES A GREEN SEED

June 4, 1924

Benny was in a much better mood today when he showed up during my mathematics lesson posing as my cousin with whooping cough to help get me out of school. He'd found Ruth's address after much trouble and mailed off his love poem, so he figured in a day or two she'd be reading his love-words and regretting she ever walked away from him for being a lowlife Phillies fan.

It does take a certain brand of life to be one, though, as our team proved again today. It was Sunny Jim Bottomley's turn to whale away on us this time. He doubled in two runs in the 1st to help give the Cards a 3-0 lead off the bat. Cy doubled one back for us, but then St. Louis got two more off Hubbell in the 2nd on doubles from Hornsby and Clemons and another hit from Bottomley.

And then we started coming back. The fans were too worn out from booing during yesterday's massacre so today they were pretty polite, and when Wilson homered in the 4th and Harper based a 2-run smack off Haines to start the 5th, the crowd was all up and crazy like we were about to win a pennant. Mokan then singled in the equalizing run with two outs, and when Harper doubled in a run in the 6th to put us up 6-5, me and Benny jumped and almost hugged and peanuts went everywhere.

Hubbell meanwhile had calmed down and seemed to be headed for his seventh win, but you can never expect miracles at Baker Bowl on a warm day—unless you're the visitors. Sure enough, Ford booted a grounder with two outs in the 7th, and Les Bell batted for Haines. Bell just about never plays, but he picked out a Hubbell curve and cranked it way out to left and St. Louis had the lead, 7-6. The air fizzed out of the Phillie balloon the next inning as Blades, Hornsby and Bottomley again singled, Betts came in to walk and hit two guys, and we were down for good 9-6.

It always helps to look for hopeful signs after a calamity, though, and we did have a whole bunch of fight in us after getting trounced yesterday. Who knows? Maybe Carlson will have it tomorrow and Flint Rhem will stink for them like he usually does. You want evenmore hope? Read about the Brooklyn game below. Good night, reader-people!
—Vinny

STL 320 000 220 - 9 13 0
PHL 100 131 000 - 6 15 2

Other National League games today:

at ROBINS 9-8-2, PIRATES 5-11-3
Brooklyn lost all three games to the Bucs at Forbes, so after Traynor hits a 2-run sock in the 1st off Ruether, it looks grim again. But a huge two-base error by Maranville in the Robin 1st, then three walks and two singles off Emil Yde give them a 4-2 lead! The Pirates as usual chip back and go ahead 5-4 into the bottom of the 8th, but then Pittsburgh falls off their own plank. Carey drops a fly to start, followed by two walks and a 2-run pinch single by Neis for a 6-5 Brooklyn lead. A single, double and second Maranville boot later, it's 9-5 and the Bucs beat themselves in another one!

at GIANTS 3-7-2, CUBS 2-7-2
Keen and Barnes square off in a tight duel to see who can gain ground on first place, and it's the red-hot Giants. Frank Snyder replaces catcher Gowdy late in the game and whacks a strolling-off homer with one out in the 9th to probably send the Polo Grounds into a tizzy.

REDS 7-10-0, at BRAVES 2-10-0
Cincy gets closer too! This time it's little-used infielder Sam Bohne's turn to collect two triples and a homer while the top of their lineup goes 1-for-14 and they beat the sickening Braves anyway. What a race now! Even the Cards are just four and a half games out.

NATIONAL LEAGUE through Wednesday, June 4
Pittsburgh Pirates	29	16	.644	—
New York Giants	28	18	.609	1.5
Cincinnati Reds	29	20	.592	2
St. Louis Cardinals	27	23	.540	4.5
Brooklyn Robins	23	22	.511	6
Chicago Cubs	21	27	.438	9.5
Philadelphia Phillies	20	28	.417	10.5
Boston Braves	12	35	.255	18

ANOTHER CAPITOL OFFENSE

WASHINGTON ROARS THROUGH NAVIN FIELD LIKE FECAL MATTER THROUGH A GOOSE AS GOSLIN AND BLUEGE SHINE

By Calvin J. Butterworth
Detroit Free-Enterprise

June 3, 1924

Any dreams of our Tigers righting their leaky ship against the league's best took a deadly blow today as the Senators vetoed Detroit off their own home field, 7-1.

Tom Zachary notched his seventh victory with a sterling complete game performance, and despite injuries to Joe Judge and catcher Rule, Earl Whitehill was unable to quell their persnickety batsmen. The incredible Goose Goslin began the scoring with a two-out 2-run single in the 3rd, which proved to be his 12th game-winning dagger of the season, accounting for over a third of his team's wins! Woodall singled to begin the Tiger 5th, and when Ossie Bluege hurled a double play grounder into the stands, it became second and third, leading to the first and only Detroit tally when Whitehill grounded out.

Yet these rude Diplomats are in first place for a reason, and Bluege proved it in the very next frame by catapulting a Whitehill offering high and far over the left field fence to redeem his gaffe. Matters remained calm until the 8th, when all fell apart for the home club. Manager Bucky Harris doubled, Rice and Goslin singled, Bluege knocked another home with a deep fly, and Peckinpaugh doubled to chase Whitehill to the locker room hinterlands.

And the news became worse after the game, when the Tigers learned Walter Johnson would throw in tomorrow's affair against Ed Wells. The Train leads the league in victories and shows no signs of advanced age despite all pre-season rumors to the contrary. Cobb's one consolation is that his club was able to defeat the Senators the last time Walter hurled in a thrilling extra-inning affair, and lightning has been known to strike the same ground twice.

WAS 002 001 031 - 7 13 2
DET 000 010 000 - 1 5 0


Other American League games today:

at WHITE SOX 4-10-1, YANKEES 2-14-1
It has become official: the Yankees will have no place in this pennant race unless they re-discover how to score runs. Today they soil Sloppy Thurston for 14 hits, four of them doubles, yet manage just two scores by grounding into three critical double plays and leaving 12 runners on base. Meanwhile, Chicago's deadly top four lineup spots go 2-for-16 against ace Herb Pennock and they still pull out the win on a pop fly 3-run homer from shortstop Bill Barrett in the bottom of the 6th. Ruth gets three singles and actually drives in a run for a change, but the god-awful Gothams simply have no knack for doing anything correctly at key junctures.

ATHLETICS 9-16-2, at INDIANS 7-14-0
Baumgartner bests Shaute in a battle of portsiders, as the still-lethall Mackmen outlast the Speakerless Tribe. Tris will return for tomorrow's game with his dreadful team now 14 games below the .500 mark.

RD SOX 12-22-1, at BROWNS 3-7-0
A rare batting explosion by the Bostons, with five doubles and two triples stirred into their 22-hit broth. Curt Fullerton is the jolly beneficiary, getting his fourth win in a complete game, while Urban Shocker lives up to his bloodied name.

AMERICAN LEAGUE through Tuesday, June 3
Washington Senators	34	16	.680	—
Chicago White Sox	31	16	.660	1.5
New York Yankees	24	23	.511	8.5
Detroit Tigers	23	25	.479	10
Philadelphia Athletics	23	26	.469	10.5
St. Louis Browns	20	27	.426	12.5
Boston Red Sox	19	27	.413	13
Cleveland Indians	17	31	.354	16

BOMBS AWAY!!

June 3, 1924

This time I left school early, went to lovesick Benny's place and got him going. For the last year he's been living with a poor immigrant family that doesn't speak English about twenty blocks away from me, and after eating their cannolis and drinking some of their muddy coffee I talked Benny out of bed, into his clothes and up to the ball park for some baseball medicine.

Except now I'm sick. Jimmy Ring was on the mound after his fabulous first win the last time out, and the Cardinals were in no mood to keep him smiling. Specs Toporcer, one of the only big leaguers brave enough to wear glasses, singled into right to start the game. Wattie Holm tripled off the center fence. Ray Blades doubled. The Amazing Hornsby hit one so far over our heads in the bleachers that we didn't have time to turn around and look at it. Bottomley singled. Clemons singled. Cooney singled. Chick Hafey roped a double and it was 6-0. Art Fletcher finally went out to either talk to Ring or give him a pill, and then guess what? Pitcher Leo Dickerman lined a shot to Wrightstone at third, who tagged Cooney off the base and whipped it to second to nab Hafey for a triple play!

That was the only highlight for us. Hornsby singled and tripled his next two times up, Mitchell relieved and was no better than Ring, and the Cards laid waste to Baker Bowl with a 24-hit bombardment. By the 5th inning it was 14-2 and I had some idea of what Papa must have gone through in that horrible trench that day in France. The Phillies have played pretty darn well on the road, but at home they just can't stop their pitcher-bleeding.

For his part, Benny hasn't given up on Ruth Malcolmson yet, writing her a 15-page love poem with the words "sorry" and "regret" splattered all over the place. I said don't expect her to ever reply but he didn't care. I guess it's always good to write something down to get your tough feelings out. Like I just did.

Good night, reader-people!
—Vinny

STL 611 330 300 - 17 24 1
PHL 011 000 000 - 2 7 2

Other National League game today:

REDS 6-12-1, at BRAVES 0-7-1
Why did the Braves even show up at the park with Eppa Rixey pitching for Cincy? He suffocates them in their sleep with ease while the injury-stabbed Reds hit their typical three triples from fill-ins and get closer to the Giants and Bucs in a race getting ever-tighter.

NATIONAL LEAGUE through Tuesday, June 3
Pittsburgh Pirates	29	15	.659	—
New York Giants	27	18	.600	2.5
Cincinnati Reds	28	20	.583	3
St. Louis Cardinals	26	23	.531	5.5
Brooklyn Robins	22	22	.500	7
Chicago Cubs	21	26	.447	9.5
Philadelphia Phillies	20	27	.426	10.5
Boston Braves	12	34	.261	18

SCHOOL DAZE AND STRAIGHT A'S

June 2, 1924

Well, like I promised I got up nice and early and took a hot bath, put on my best clothes and went off to school with three apples in my pockets. I had missed so many days because of my baseball journey that I thought Mrs. Crackerbee could use more than one bribe.

Instead she made a big fuss over me the second I got in the room, walked me up in front of the class and asked how my "voyage to the Caribbean Sea" went. Uh-oh. I guess Mama had made up some cockamamie story about where I went, and now I had to just plain fudge it. All the kids were staring at me, especially the girls, like I was some kind of midget war hero, so I went on and on about my crazy Uncle Percival and his mission to spread religion to the islands down there whether they liked it or not, and how we got attacked by Cuban pirates and had to trade them cigarettes and tonic medicine and chewing gum to save our lives, and how it rained a lot of the time and that's why my skin never got tan. Stuff like that.

For the next hour or so we reviewed a nutty chapter in our physiology book. It described the human body as a house where the stomach was the kitchen, the small intestine was the dining room, and the lungs were the laundry but for some reason it didn't say anything about a bedroom or bathroom. Then right before lunch Mrs. Crackerbee handed out a final history test, which I knew I'd probably flunk. Joey Kopf sat next to me, a smart little kid with blonde hair and thick glasses, and I started working on him for answers. Joey's real name is Josef but the school started giving German kids American school names after the War so they wouldn't get beaten up, and I looked out for him a bunch of times so I knew he might help me.

The test was mostly about the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, and I was getting Lexington mixed up with Manassas pretty quick. If they had questions about the Great War that just ended I might have done better because I'd read every one of Papa's letters from there four times, but I guess they didn't want us to know much about that one and how incredibly stupid and awful the whole thing was. Anyway, Joey traded me six answers for three sticks of peppermint gum, so I guess that pirate story I told made some kind of dent in his head.

I ate my salami and cheese sandwich in the lunch room after. It was broiling hot out and the fans weren't working, so I found a spot right next to one of the windows, and that's when I heard Benny calling my name.

He was standing out in the alley wearing the nicest clothes I'd ever seen on him. His hair was combed and he'd even shaved most of the stubble off his chin. Ruth was right around the corner waiting, he said, and she wanted to take us someplace special for the afternoon. I told him I had to be in school and was already eating lunch, but I knew it was a dumb argument. How I could I not meet Miss Philadelphia? Mr. Tuggerheinz had been keeping an eye on me the whole lunch but the second he turned his back I climbed out the window and ran around the corner with Benny.

And there she was—Ruth Malcolmson, wearing a slim blue dress and a cute little hat and good God, she was the most perfect female I'd ever seen. I shook her hand and kissed it because I didn't know what else to do. She had a funny voice that sounded like dripping maple syrup and smelled like a flower vase, and in ten seconds she was getting us into a taxicab.

Benny couldn't even talk, just stared at her and kept his arm around her tiny waist. She said she'd heard about our baseball road trip and wanted to know all about the far-away cities so I serenaded her with that as long as I could before Benny started kicking my shin to shut me up. Benny asked Ruth if we were going to a park or fancy restaurant and she just smiled and wouldn't give her secret away.

Finally she leaned forward, tapped the driver's arm and said "Twenty-first and Lehigh please," and Benny lost the smile on his face. She was taking us to Shibe Park! He asked her if she was an A's fan and she said "Oh of course! Who didn't grow up rooting for Home Run Baker?" Me and Benny sure as heck didn't, but we kept our fake smiles on as we bounced our way through town.

Shibe is actually just four or five blocks away from Baker Bowl in the area they call North Penn, but it might as well be on the Moon to us. True blue Phillie fans don't want anything to do with those wealthy Mack-heads who follow the upstart American League in their giant cave of a ball field, and it was just our luck that one of the two games being played all day was right in our city. At least it was against first-place Washington, so maybe we could see the Athletics suffer.

Lehigh Boulevard was packed solid. The A's had been playing hot lately, had just beaten up the Yankees three in a row before they lost in Washington yesterday, and their fans were starting to believe again. Heck, they'd won a bunch of pennants in the early 1910s before Mack traded all his stars away, although the Phillies had won a pennant since the last time the A's had. Anyway, Ruth had already gotten us tickets through some society friend and they were supposed to be in a good section, and it's kind of tough to say no to a beautiful lady and a ball game.

This was the first time I'd been to Shibe Park and I have to say it was a palace compared to our dump, especially the outside, which looked like somebody's mansion. The hot sausages were actually hot for one thing, the fans were polite, smelled less like gin and really seemed to understand the game. The team has been hitting like the dickens these days, and they have a rookie slugger named Al Simmons who Ruth couldn't stop talking about. She liked to watch him hit with his "one foot in the water bucket" stance, though Benny whispered to me that she probably just liked looking at his rump.

Anyway, we had a good rump-watching spot, right behind the Athletics' dugout, but the game turned sour right away for the home folks when Eddie Rommel hit Muddy Ruel in the back to start the game. Washington actually had their catcher leading off so I guess they won't try that again, but getting Muddy plunked only lit their bats on fire. After Judge walked, Goslin singled in the first run and with two outs, Ossie Bluege doubled home two more and it was 3-0 out of the gate. A Dykes triple and Bing Miller single made it 3-1 and got Ruth all excited even though her rump-boy grounded out to end the inning.

Judge then got hit on the side of his head to load the bases, knocking him out for a few days, and Goose Goslin went crazy, tripling in three runs for a 6-1 lead. A walk and four more Senator singles in the 5th kicked Rommel out for good, and their pitcher Ogden sat back on the mound and relaxed while his hitters scored single runs each of the last four innings to take the game 14-4. Wow, those Washingtons can flat out whip your hide, and we were sure glad they're in the other league.

We took Ruth over to this big Jewish neighborhood nearby and had ice cream at a great place called Doc Hoffmans, and her strawberry cone was the only thing that cheered her up. Then Benny made fun of one of the A's players—I think it was Maxie Bishop—and Ruth's face turned from angel to red-hot devil and she said she had to go and told Benny that maybe she'd see him again sometime. Benny ran out the door after her to apologize but she was into another cab before you can say Jack Sprat and that was the end of our date with Miss Philadelphia. Benny felt like a complete dolt of course, so I had to remind him that Hornsby and the Cards were in town starting tomorrow, and I thought I saw him try to smile.

Good night, reader-people!
—Vinny

WAS 330 041 111 - 14 16 1
PHA 100 200 001 - 4 8 1

Only other game today:

CARDINALS 4-12-1, at PIRATES 3-9-1
The Bucs get back from Cubs Park for one game before hitting the eastern road and lose again. Cooper can't handle two leads, Bill Sherdel triples in the tieing run in the 6th and scores on Cooney's hit for the final lead. How about that? The Phils don't even play and pick up half of a game! Every other team is busy getting to where they have to be. The Cards now come see us and the Pirates go to Brooklyn to beat up the dying Robins.

NATIONAL LEAGUE through Monday, June 2
Pittsburgh Pirates	29	15	.659	—
New York Giants	27	18	.600	2.5
Cincinnati Reds	27	20	.574	3.5
St. Louis Cardinals	25	23	.521	6
Brooklyn Robins	22	22	.500	7
Chicago Cubs	21	26	.447	9.5
Philadelphia Phillies	20	26	.435	10
Boston Braves	12	33	.267	17.5
AMERICAN LEAGUE through Monday, June 2
Washington Senators	33	16	.673	—
Chicago White Sox	30	16	.652	1.5
New York Yankees	24	22	.522	7.5
Detroit Tigers	23	24	.489	9
Philadelphia Athletics	22	26	.458	10.5
St. Louis Browns	20	26	.435	11.5
Boston Red Sox	18	27	.400	13
Cleveland Indians	17	30	.362	15

JUNE BURSTS OUT IN A DIFFERENT FASHION

DAUSS SURVIVES LATEST PITCHING ESCAPADE WITH EXTRA-INNING WIN IN SUNDAY FINALE

By Calvin J. Butterworth
Detroit Free-Enterprise

June 1, 1924

CLEVELAND, OHIO—When two clubs with the rankest pitching square off, one can usually expect batting explosions. But mound aces Rip Collins and Sherry Smith made sure to keep all corks in their gun barrels today at League Park in a mildly scintillating 5-4 Tiger victory.

Cobb got the scoring going with a sacrifice fly after Rigney singled and Fred Haney doubled to begin the game. Collins was twirling beautifully, allowing nothing but a two-sack hit to Chick Fewster for the first six innings. In the top of the 6th, the Bengals struck again on singles from Rigney and Heilman and triples from Haney and Manush, and it was 4-0 Detroit with a clear road ahead.

But nothing is ever fancy-free for this outfit. Myatt doubled in the first Tribe run in the 7th, and with the help of a foolish error by catcher Woodall, Cleveland was able to plate three runs in the 8th, knock out Collins for Dauss, and tie the game up. Bud Messenger, the winless and generally hopeless Indians reliever, took over for Smith, retired the Tigers in succession in the 9th, then picked up a bat and tripled with two outs in the bottom frame. Dauss got Jamieson on a popup, though, and we went to the 10th. Rigney worked out a walk, Haney bunted him secondward, Cobb singled him to third, and Heilman sent a long fly to Jamieson to put us ahead for good.

The uncanny Senators now invade Navin Field for four skirmishes, with Walter Johnson slated to throw in the third one. "They ain't no fluke team, that's for sure," said Cobb afterwards, "All we can do is raise 'em by the ears, close our eyes, flash our razors and hope we hit neck."

DET 100 003 000 1 - 5 10 1
CLE 000 000 130 0 - 4 7 0

Other American League games today:

at SENATORS 7-12-2, ATHLETICS 6-9-3
The blistering Mackmen almost pull off a miracle win at Griffith, going up 3-0 in the 1st, getting behind 5-3 in the 2nd and taking the lead again 6-5 in the 3rd. But Mogridge settles down from there, Burns gives the Nats two runs in the 5th and all bats are silenced for the afternoon.

WHITE SOX 8-16-1, at BROWNS 2-11-2
After a mediocre day off, Chicago scorches Brownie pitching for 16 safeties, equally spaced through their lineup, and Blankenship coasts with the help of two large double plays for his sixth win. Ken Williams will be back in the St. Louis lineup for the next game, a day too late.

The Red Sox were traveling out to St. Louis and the Yankees to Chicago to launch their western trips.

AMERICAN LEAGUE through Sunday, June 1
Washington Senators	32	16	.667	—
Chicago White Sox	30	16	.652	1
New York Yankees	24	22	.522	7
Detroit Tigers	23	24	.489	8.5
Philadelphia Athletics	22	25	.468	9.5
St. Louis Browns	20	26	.435	11
Boston Red Sox	18	27	.400	12.5
Cleveland Indians	17	30	.362	14.5

THE LORD FLIPS A COIN

June 1, 1924

Well, I went to church with Mama after breakfast today, and I guess God can't take care of everyone's prayers. I asked Him to do something nice for Rachel because her Robins were stinking bad, but all that probably did was confuse Him, because the Phillies were playing them up at Ebbets later and it's his job to take care of me first.

So I guess He just flipped a coin, because by the time I got over to Mort's to check his baseball ticker, Couch, Sand, red-hot Holke and George Harper had just led off the 3rd with hits and we had a 3-0 lead on Bill Doak, who's been nothing but great so far. A Mitchell triple and Johnston single in the 5th made it close, but Holke singled in another the next inning to put he Phils up 4-2.

Andy High whacked a 2-run homer in the 6th to tie the thing, and that's when Benny showed up with this huge grin on his face. I asked what he was so darn happy about because Brooklyn had just tied the game and he said he was having dinner out with Ruth that night. Ruth who? I asked. He looked at me like I had a faucet on my head. "Miss Philadelphia, you dope!" Seems that she had picked up that photo of her he dropped at her feet before getting hauled off, and it had two verses of an original love poem I saw him scribbling on the back. She was "swooning" the rest of the day as Benny put it, and tracked him down the next morning through the police. Which was why he never showed up at Baker Bowl. They went to Independence Hall, picnicked at the river and came close to smooching in Rittenhouse Square.

Anyway, the Phillies scored a run in the 7th on a Wilson double and another in the 9th on a bases-loaded walk, and Couch beat Brooklyn 6-4 with the help of 15 hits but Benny hardly reacted to it. His eyes lit up like fireflies every ten seconds whenever he most likely thought of the lovely Ruth. He asked if I wanted to meet her and suggested maybe she had a nice friend. So I said sure, but it would have to be after school tomorrow because I couldn't dare skip another day, and that's how I planned my Monday. The good thing is that the Phillies will be off, so that's one less thing to distract me from my school work.

Good night, reader-people!
—Vinny

PHL 003 001 101 - 6 15 0
BRK 000 022 000 - 4 9 1

Other National league games today:

at GIANTS 7-15-0, BRAVES 0-4-2
Look out, league, here come dem Giants! Bentley throws a complete 4-hit shutout and New York breaks a scoreless tie by clubbing Genewich late for all their runs as they get to within three games of the top. Guess it was just a matter of time.

at CUBS 5-9-1, PIRATES 3-9-0
The Cubs have been tough all year on the Bucs, and are now 5-6 against them. Meadows takes a 3-2 lead on Aldridge into the 7th but Grantham booms a big 3-run homer with two outs in the 7th for the ball game. Pittsburgh luck has suddenly gone to sleep.

at REDS 3-9-1, CARDNALS 2-11-3
Hornsby's double in the 6th gives St. Louis a 2-1 lead, but Sothoron and his defense give it up in the bottom of the 9th. Single, Toporcer error, double by pitcher Mays and Hornsby error and that's that. Cincy's been winning like this all season, even when smothered with injuries.

NATIONAL LEAGUE through Sunday, June 1
Pittsburgh Pirates	29	14	.674	—
New York Giants	27	18	.600	3
Cincinnati Reds	27	20	.574	4
St. Louis Cardinals	24	23	.511	7
Brooklyn Robins	22	22	.500	7.5
Chicago Cubs	21	26	.447	10
Philadelphia Phillies	20	26	.435	10.5
Boston Braves	12	33	.267	18

BY THE HAIRS OF THEIR CHINS

COBB AVOIDS SPITTING TOBACCO JUICE IN MY FACE AND KNOCKING ME INTO LAKE ERIE WITH ABSURD 11-10 VICTORY

By Calvin J. Butterworth
Detroit Free-Enterprise

May 31, 1924

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Poisonous thoughts spurted from my typewriter last evening after Detroit spent Decoration Day gift-wrapping forty hits to the Indians, and I do not regret even one of those words, despite the team surviving an 11-10 donnybrook at League Park today.

Eager to save their chins, Cobb's Crew jumped on the talentless Luther Roy right away with their re-imagined lineup. Lu Blue singled and went to second on a Fewster error, Manush doubled, Cobb singled and Heilman drew a pass to make it 2-0. Syl Johnson, taking over Lil Stoner's spot in our rotation, gave the two runs right back, but Detroit then drank their muscle juice. Bob Jones doubled and Bassler tripled to begin the 2nd. Johnson singled, Blue walked, Manush doubled, Cobb tripled and Heilman singled with nary an out made, and it was 9-2.

After three innings it was a robust 11-4, and matters stood that way until the 6th. Johnson lost his nerve all at once and was relieved for the exiled Stoner, who showed us why he was so dealt with. Two Tribe singles and a walk sent him packing, and when Bert Cole took the mound, Cobb butchered a hit from McNulty, three more runs scored and it was 11-10!

The God of Base Ball then took mercy, though, and froze all scoring hereafter. Cole worked his way out of pickles in the last two innings, and the win was thankfully ours. Ace Rip Collins will grip the ball for our boys in the Sunday finale against Sherry Smith, and then we come home to begin our long home stand against the Eastern clubs. The first will be the top-place Senators, so it will be time to either fire or get off the shooting range.


DET 272 000 000 - 11 14 2
CLE 220 006 000 - 10 13 2

Other American League games today:

SENATORS 6-11-1, at RED SOX 2-7-1
The Big Train roars through Fenway, spilling Sox out its merry windows. Joe Harris manages a home run against Johnson in the 4th, but it proves the only Boston gasp as Doc Prothro fills in for the injured Peckinpaugh with a triple and double in the lead-off spot, and Goslin starts Nat scoring with a 1st inning homer—his tenth game-winning hit of the year.

at BROWNS 11-18-0, WHITE SOX 5-9-3
The worst game played by Chicago in many a moon, as St. Louis racks up 18 safeties on Robertson, Lyons and Leverett even with Ken Williams gone. Baby Doll Jacobson chips in with a triple and homer and Dixie Davis goes the distance.

ATHLETICS 7-9-0, at YANKEES 2-8-1
The poor New York fans must truly be despising their lives. The charging Mackmen have their way with Shawkey, Lamar and Simmons belting clouts, while the Gothams roll into four double plays, strand 12 runners, and the Corpulent One whiffs with a man on second in the 1st, grounds out with two aboard to end the 6th. One surmises this team cannot wait to leave town.

AMERICAN LEAGUE through Saturday, May 31
Washington Senators	31	16	.660	—
Chicago White Sox	29	16	.644	1
New York Yankees	24	22	.522	6.5
Philadelphia Athletics	22	24	.478	8.5
Detroit Tigers	22	24	.478	8.5
St. Louis Browns	20	25	.444	10
Boston Red Sox	18	27	.400	12
Cleveland Indians	17	29	.370	13.5

AMERICAN LEAGUE STATISTICAL COMPENDIUM

RECORD IN MONTH OF MAY
21-10 Washington, 19-11 Chicago, 17-13 Philadelphia, 14-16 New York
14-17 Detroit, 13-15 St. Louis , 11-18 Boston, 11-19 Cleveland

RECORD AT HOME
Washington 20-12, Chicago 8-4, St. Louis 7-8, Detroit 7-9
Philadelphia 13-15, New York 14-18, Cleveland 6-12, Boston 10-20

RECORD ABROAD
Chicago 21-12, Washington 11-4, New York 10-4, Boston 8-7
Detroit 15-15, Philadelphia 9-9, St. Louis 13-17, Cleveland 11-17

ONE-RUN CONTESTS
Detroit 10-4, Philadelphia 9-5, Washington 6-4, Chicago 6-5
New York 6-5, Boston 9-9, St. Louis 5-6, Cleveland 1-14

ADDITIONAL INNINGS
Chicago 4-2, Philadelphia 2-1, Boston 1-1, New York 1-1
St. Louis 1-1, Washington 2-2, Detroit 2-3, Cleveland 0-2

COMEBACK VICTORIES/RUINED ADVANTAGES
Washington 13/3, New York 14/10, Philadelphia 12/9, Chicago 10/11
Detroit 10/11, Boston 7/11, St. Louis 9/14, Cleveland 8/14

BATTING AVERAGE
Cleveland .319, Chicago .316, Detroit .308, St. Louis .308
Philadelphia .291, New York .289, Washington .288, Boston .271

RUNS SCORED
Cleveland 320, Chicago 304, Detroit 285, New York 270
Washington 269, Philadelphia 256, St. Louis 235, Boston 199

TRIPLES
Washington 31, St. Louis 31, Detroit 27, Philadelphia 26
New York 23, Boston 22, Chicago 22, Cleveland 21

HOME RUNS
New York 26, Philadelphia 22, St. Louis 19, Cleveland 18
Chicago 17, Boston 11, Washington 11, Detroit 10

DOUBLE PLAYS GROUNDED INTO
Philadelphia 40, Cleveland 44, New York 44, Detroit 49
Chicago 50, St. Louis 52, Washington 52, Boston 58

RUNNERS LEFT ADRIFT
New York 364, Chicago 381, St. Louis 384, Philadelphia 385
Washington 401, Boston 409, Detroit 433, Cleveland 440

EARNED RUN AVERAGE
Washington 3.86, New York 4.98, St. Louis 5.23, Philadelphia 5.28
Chicago 5.48, Detroit 5.53, Boston 5.60, Cleveland 6.13

ERRORS
Boston 43, Cleveland 47, Detroit 49, New York 52
Chicago 53, Washington 58, St. Louis 60, Philadelphia 62

DOUBLE PLAYS EXECUTED
Philadelphia 58, Washington 58, Cleveland 52, Boston 47
New York 43, Chicago 43, Detroit 42, St. Louis 41

HOME RUNS ALLOWED
Detroit 8, Boston 9, Chicago 15, Philadelphia 17
Washington 17, St. Louis 18, Cleveland 23, New York 27

BATTING AVG. LEADERS
.410 Sheely, CHW
.389 McManus, STL
.386 Falk, CHW
.382 Jamieson, CLE
.376 Cobb, DET
.376 Speaker, CLE

HOME RUN LEADERS
14 Ruth, NYY
8 Hauser, PHA
8 Goslin, WASH

RUNS BATTED IN LEADERS
57 Goslin, WASH
52 Heilman, DET
43 Manush, DET
42 Myatt, CLE

WINS LEADERS
8-2 Johnson, WASH
7-2 Faber, CHW
6-2 Collins, DET

E.R.A. LEADERS
2.27 Johnson, WASH
2.59 Bush, NYY
3.12 Ogden, WASH
3.27 Faber, CHW
3.30 Zachary, WASH

SAVED GAMES LEADERS
4 Russell, WASH
3 Ross, BOS, Cvengros, CHW, McWeeny, CHW
Cole, DET, Meeker, PHA

A FAREWELL TO MAY

May 31, 1924

I promised Mama I would catch up with my lessons in the next two days, because the Phillies go up to Brooklyn for a single Sunday game, and that's the last thing I want to do even if it would mean maybe seeing Rachel. Her team has been in the dumps lately, as you'll soon read about, so it might not be the best time to invade her life again. On Monday the Phillies have a day off before St. Louis comes to town, so I guess I'll spend the whole day in school for a change.

The Phillies might have to go back to winning school, though, because they seem to have forgot everything they learned on their western trip. The Giants knocked Oeschie around today for four runs in the 2nd inning, helped by Parkinson murdering a ball at third base, and we were behind early again. We actually hit the ball well off Art Nehf, getting 14 hits which was two more than they had, but we didn't walk once and couldn't stick any of those hits together.

The Phils did make it close with three runs in the 6th, but all that did was wake up the Giants again, and they put three more across in the 7th with big hits from Youngs and Kelly. Cy hit his 8th homer over the right fence to lead our 7th, but that finished all the scoring on this boiling afternoon.

Benny never showed up at all. I guess he was too blue after the Miss Philadelphia disaster, and didn't want the Phillies to make him any bluer. I'm the opposite. I use baseball games to get me out of bad moods, no matter what happens. What else can beat sitting in the hot sun with a cold pop at a big green ball field?

I got down to Mort's real fast after the game, because he always has the latest printed league leader reports at the end of each month, and I wanted to include it for all of you down below. Good night, reader-people!
—Vinny

NYG 040 000 300 - 7 12 0
PHL 000 003 100 - 4 14 2


Other National League games today:

BRAVES 4-9-0, at ROBINS 2-7-3
I might have to pray for Rachel in church tomorrow, even though she's Jewish, because Brooklyn's in as big a slump as I've seen. Today Grimes goes up against Larry Benton, who is 0-6 with a 10.31 earned run average going in, and the Robins make three errors, stink up Ebbets Field two out of three times to the worst team on earth, and are now in the lower division.

CARDINALS 7-14-1, at PIRATES 6-8-0
Look at this! The Bucs grab two runs in the 1st off Haines, then watch the Cards boot their behinds with 14 hits, including a big Hornsby double in the 3rd to give them the lead for good. It seems like an easy win but Fowler relieves and almost gives up the farm, giving Pittsburgh a triple, walk and single with two outs in the 9th.

REDS 4-18-1, at CUBS 2-9-0 (15 innings)
Pedro Dibut throws seven masterful innings of shutout relief and Al Wingo singles in the winner off Kaufmann as Cincy pulls it out despite their horrible hit usage and Boob Fowler getting hurt for five games. They have four regulars injured now but that hasn't stopped them from winning all year.

NATIONAL LEAGUE through Saturday, May 31
Pittsburgh Pirates	29	13	.690	—
New York Giants	26	18	.591	4
Cincinnati Reds	26	20	.565	5
St. Louis Cardinals	24	22	.522	7
Brooklyn Robins	22	21	.512	7.5
Chicago Cubs	20	26	.435	11
Philadelphia Phillies	19	26	.422	11.5
Boston Braves	12	32	.273	18

NATIONAL LEAGUE STATISTICAL COMPENDIUM

RECORD IN MAY
19-8 Pittsburgh, 19-10 New York, 18-13 Cincinnati, 17-13 St. Louis
14-14 Brooklyn, 14-16 Chicago, 12-18 Philadelphia, 5-24 Boston

RECORD AT HOME
Pittsburgh 19-7, Brooklyn 11-4, Cincinnati 17-13, New York 8-7
St. Louis 15-16, Boston 6-7, Philadelphia 5-9, Chicago 15-20

RECORD ON ROAD
New York 18-11, Pittsburgh 10-6, St. Louis 9-6, Cincinnati 9-7
Chicago 5-6, Philadelphia 14-17, Brooklyn 11-17, Boston 6-25

ONE-RUN CONTESTS
St. Louis 11-6, Pittsburgh 8-5, New York 6-4, Chicago 7-5
Cincinnati 7-8, Brooklyn 5-7, Boston 6-9, Philadelphia 3-9

ADDITIONAL INNINGS
Boston 4-2, Pittsburgh 4-2, St. Louis 6-4, New York 3-2
Cincinnati 5-5, Philadelphia 3-4m Chicago 2-5, Brooklyn 0-4

COMEBACK VICTORIES/RUINED ADVANTAGES
St. Louis 18/11, New York 12/6, Pittsburgh 11/7, Cincinnati 13/13
Philadelphia 9/9, Chicago 11/12, Brooklyn 6/11, Boston 5/15

BATTING AVERAGE
Cincinnati .302, St. Louis .301, Pittsburgh .294, Brooklyn .287
New York .285, Chicago .282, Philadelphia .277, Boston .259

RUNS SCORED
St. Louis 276, New York 255, Chicago 251, Pittsburgh 244
Cincinnati 237, Brooklyn 231, Philadelphia 216, Boston 176

TRIPLES
Cincinnati 46, Pittsburgh 42, Chicago 40, New York 33,
St. Louis 24, Brooklyn 19, Philadelphia 18, Boston 14

HOME RUNS
Philadelphia 37, Chicago 30, Brooklyn 27, New York 20
St. Louis 17, Cincinnati 16, Pittsburgh 13, Boston 7

DOUBLE PLAYS GROUNDED INTO
Pittsburgh 36, Philadelphia 39, New York 40, Chicago 45
Cincinnati 45, Brooklyn 50, St. Louis 51, Boston 58

RUNNERS LEFT ADRIFT
Pittsburgh 330, Brooklyn 344, Boston 361, Philadelphia 364
New York 375, Chicago 381, St. Louis 409, Cincinnati 422

EARNED RUN AVERAGE
Cincinnati 3.06, Pittsburgh 3.48, Brooklyn 3.67, New York 4.34
Chicago 5.09, Philadelphia 5.10, St. Louis 5.59, Boston 5.87

ERRORS
Philadelphia 37, Pittsburgh 39, Boston 48, Brooklyn 50
New York 52, Cincinnati 62, St. Louis 64, Chicago 65

DOUBLE PLAYS EXECUTED
Brooklyn 52, Cincinnati 49, New York 46, St. Louis 44
Chicago 43, Philadelphia 42, Boston 36, Pittsburgh 36

HOME RUNS ALLOWED
Cincinnati 8, Pittsburgh 12, Philadelphia 15, Brooklyn 21
Boston 22, St, Louis 27, Chicago 31, New York 32

BATTING AVG. LEADERS
.450 Hornsby, STL
.413 Youngs, NYG
.382 Wheat, BRK
.366 Brown, BRK
.347 Frisch, NYG
.342 Fournier, BRK

HOME RUN LEADERS
12 Fournier, BRK
10 Hartnett, CHC
8 Williams, PHL
8 Hornsby, STL

RUNS BATTED IN LEADERS
53 Hornsby, STL
46 Forunier, BRK
39 Cuyler, PIT
37 Blades, CHC
36 Hartnett, CHC

WINS LEADERS
6-2 Hubbell, PHL
6-3 Alexander, CHC
5-1 Morrison, PIT

E.R.A. LEADERS
1.89 Morrison, PIT
1.95 Mays, CIN
2.28 Doak, BRK
2.33 Vance, BRK
2.37 Carlson, PHL

SAVED GAMES LEADERS
6 Adams, PIT
4 Jonnard, NYG
4 Betts, PHL

A DOUBLE-DROWNING IN LAKE ERIE

TIGERS SHAME OUR FIGHTING MEN AS RANCID HURLERS ALLOW 40 HITS TO LAST PLACE TRIBE

By Calvin J. Butterworth
Detroit Free-Enterprise

May 30, 1924

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Decoration Day may be a day for Americans to remember, but for Tiger fans this one is best forgotten as swiftly as possible. For against a cellar-dwelling club that had simply done nothing well in three games with the White Sox, a club that was 4-11 at home, a club without Speaker and Riggs Stephenson in their lineup, Detroit played as if their heads were embedded in their lower body cavities, serving the Indians twenty delicious hits in each portion of their double holiday feast before a ravenous gathering at League Park.

Ken Holloway was the first pitching prisoner to step to the gallows. Brower led the Cleveland 1st with a double, Jamieson and Sewell singled, and after a two-out Homer Summa triple, it was 3-0. It was 8-0 after the five runs, three hits, two walks and the error Holloway made in the 2nd. It was 10-0 after the three hits and awful Manush error in the 3rd. For their part, Detroit made 15 hits on George Uhle, but 14 of them were singles, a recent malady which has been plaguing the club for days. Dutch Leonard mopped up the game for the dejected Holloway, but early damage had decided this one out of the gate.

The latter contest was far worse. James Edwards started for Cleveland and had nothing to offer, as the Tigers used seven singles and two walks to take a 4-0 lead into the last of the 3rd. Which was when Hooks Dauss grimly joined his mate Holloway on the League Park scaffold. He and Herm Pillette allowed three 4-run innings between them, and it was 12-4 by the end of the 6th, the competition never to return.

So the Tigers were the only road team on this treasured day to be swept. They have now lost four straight, looking absolutely miserable in the process, and have basically slid out of the pennant race for the time being. Aside from their wretched pitching and fielding, their hit-filled attacks are still shallow and devoid of punch. Of their last 44 hits, 41 of them were singles. Ty Cobb can take me into the clubhouse tunnel, spit tobacco juice in my face or knock me into the lake, but I am speaking the truth when I say that this Detroit outfit is dropping into the American League abyss like a croquet ball into a pond.

DET 002 100 031 - 7 15 3
CLE 352 001 20x - 13 20 2

DET 220 000 010 - 5 14 1
CLE 004 404 00x - 12 20 0

Other American League twin-bills today:

SENATORS 3-7-0, at RED SOX 1-4-0
SENATORS 11-16-3, at RED SOX 6-10-3
Firpo Marberry recovers from his last starting travesty with a fine outing, and Bennie Tate chips in with a big double and sacrifice fly. George Murray takes a 5-2 lead for Boston into the 6th in the later game, but the Washingtonians smash the bullpen of Ross, Ruffing and Piercy for nine runs in the final three innings.

WHITE SOX 7-11-0, at BROWNS 4-13-0
WHITE SOX 10-17-1, at BROWNS 2-6-3
As one could have predicted, St. Louis goes home after roughing the Tigers and is completely helpless against the killer White Sox. Collins is on base eight of his eleven times in the two games, Ernie Wingard makes his first rotten performance of the year, Mike Cvengros gets his first start for Chicago and allows just six hits, and Ken Williams is conveniently hurt for three more games. Every single thing is going the White Stocking way right now, and I imagine we should be thankful there is a Washington club around to keep a pennant race going.

ATHLETICS 4-10-0, at YANKEES 2-8-0
ATHLETICS 18-18-0, at YANKEES 5-10-2
Because at this rate, New York will not be part of it either. Heimach and his 1-6 record beats Sad Sam Jones in Game One, before Milt Gaston is knocked out in the third inning of the nightcap. Hauser collects two homers for winner Slim Harriss, one a grand-slam, while after eight straight hitless plate appearances in the two games, the chronically unreliable Babe Ruth strokes homer number 14—with his team trailing 18-3.

AMERICAN LEAGUE through Friday, May 30
Chicago White Sox	29	15	.659	—
Washington Senators	30	16	.652	—
New York Yankees	24	21	.533	5.5
Philadelphia Athletics	21	24	.467	8.5
Detroit Tigers	21	24	.467	8.5
St. Louis Browns	19	25	.432	10
Boston Red Sox	18	26	.409	11
Cleveland Indians	17	28	.378	12.5